- Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney opted not to run for reelection in 2024, leaving the field largely open to replace him.
- Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs is running, state House Speaker Brad Wilson has an exploratory committee for the seat and several other Republicans in the state are likely considering a bid in Romney’s absence, political experts in the state told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
- “I think all of these elected officials who are thinking about the future are at least talking to confidants and their family now about it, because it’s just so rare to have an open position like this,” Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “I would say there are no names really to keep off the list right now.”
Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney’s announcement not to seek reelection has left the race for his seat nearly wide open.
Romney, the former Republican presidential nominee, decided Wednesday to retire after serving for one term in the upper chamber. With only one declared candidate and one who has expressed interest in the seat, other Republicans across Utah could potentially consider a 2024 bid in Romney’s absence, state political experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“This is a generational announcement for the state of Utah and our influence in Washington, D.C. For many of us in the political world, it did not come as a big surprise,” Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, told the DCNF. “And of course, the reverberations of this decision are rippling through the state of Utah as we speak, as so many people were waiting for this announcement, and are today calling their family and friends saying that this might be their window.”
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs is the only Republican candidate who is officially in the race. Staggs endorsed Trump for president in 2024, and raised $170,000 during the first month of his Senate campaign, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filing.
“My plan is to continue doing what we’re doing. Taking my America First message across Utah,” Staggs told the DCNF in a statement. “We need someone to champion smaller government and stand up against federal overreach, that’s who I am. I’m grateful for the support my campaign has built and look forward to building an even larger coalition.”
GOP state House Speaker Brad Wilson launched an exploratory committee for the seat in mid-April, which has already raised a $1 million in campaign contributions, according a FEC filing. Perry expects Romney’s retirement will likely push Wilson to formally launch a run for the seat, and Adam Gardiner, a veteran Republican operative and lobbyist in Utah, told the DCNF that Wilson will “find a lot of support there.”
“I thank Senator Romney for his many years of service and appreciate his contributions to our state. Though we did not always see eye to eye, I wish him, Ann, and their family the best,” Wilson said in a press release forwarded to the DCNF. “We are at a crossroads, and it’s never been more important to elect a strong conservative fighter to the U.S. Senate. … I’ve been encouraged so far by the record-breaking fundraising, groundswell of grassroots support, and unprecedented endorsements we’ve received so far. Stay tuned.”
Romney was leading the Republican primary field with 45% support, followed by Wilson with 7% and Staggs with 5%, according to a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll released on Sept. 4. A significant amount of Republicans chose “another candidate,” at 27%, and 14% were unsure.
Perry mentioned how Romney’s decision not to run comes at a time when his approval ratings are high, and he likely would’ve “done very, very well” in next year’s election if he sought another term. The state political expert believes that several more were planning to launch a campaign regardless of Romney’s decision, but expects “a much longer list” of Republicans who will now consider a bid for the newly open seat.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes considered running, but opted to seek reelection instead following Romney’s announcement, according to a statement on Twitter.
“That opens up an opportunity for a dear friend of mine who is a great conservative, patriot, and warrior to run and serve as the next Senator from Utah,” Reyes wrote. “This person will be making an announcement in the days to come and I will be standing alongside this servant leader on a journey to the United States Senate.”
Perry believes the individual Reyes is referring to could be Tim Ballard, the inspiration for the film “Sound of Freedom.” Gardiner echoed Perry’s sentiment, and told the DCNF the attorney general is most likely referring to Ballard.
Republican Rep. John Curtis, businessman Brad Bonham and political commentator Boyd Matheson are among the bunch Perry believes might now consider a run. A spokesperson for Curtis pointed the DCNF toward a tweet the congressman wrote following Romney’s announcement, where he left the door open for a Senate bid.
“It’s encouraging to hear from friends urging me to run for Senate,” Curtis wrote. “Sue & I are grateful for Utahns’ trust. Your appreciation for the work my team and I do in Congress is heartening. Be it in the House or Senate, there’s much to accomplish & I look forward to getting things done.”
Ballard, Curtis and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Thomas Wright are among the names Gardiner believes are the most likely to jump in.
When asked about Gov. Spencer Cox or Rep. Blake Moore, Perry said he believes they “were not likely to take on Sen. Romney,” but could be open to it in his absence.
“I think all of these elected officials who are thinking about the future are at least talking to confidants and their family now about it, because it’s just so rare to have an open position like this,” said Perry. “I would say there are no names really to keep off the list right now.”
A spokesperson for Cox later told the DCNF that he will not run for the seat.
There are no Democrats currently in the race for the seat that Romney overwhelmingly secured by over 31 points in 2018, according to Ballotpedia.
“Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders,” Romney said. “While I’m not running for reelection, I’m not retiring from the fight. I’ll be your United States Senator until January 2025. I will keep working on these and other issues and I will advance our state’s numerous priorities.”
Romney, Moore, Bonham, Matheson, Ballard, Reyes and Wright did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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