OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Will GOP Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, known to be a nemesis of former President Donald Trump, run for re-election next year in what is expected to be a better cycle for Republicans?
His answer: A definite maybe.
Romney “took his first step toward launching a reelection campaign by submitting a declaration of candidacy to the Federal Election Commission, but the Utah senator stopped short of confirming whether he would run for another term,” the Washington Examiner reported Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Romney filed a “statement of candidacy,” which enables him to commence fundraising and utilizing campaign funds, indicating his potential plan to run for an election. Although this move does not necessarily confirm his candidacy, it is the strongest indication of his future intentions so far, the outlet noted further.
Romney has been reticent about his plans for re-election until now. Nonetheless, he said he’s “confident” in winning if he decides to run again, which caught some of his critics off-guard who previously considered his opposition to Trump as a sign that he would serve only one term as senator.
“I’ll make that assessment over the coming months, and sometime in the spring or summer, I’ll make that decision,” Romney told reporters in February. “I’m confident that I would win if I decide to run. I’ll have the resources, and I believe the people of Utah would be with me.”
The Utah Republican’s staff downplayed the filing with the FEC.
“No new decision or announcement to share, and as the Senator has said, he will make a final decision in the coming months,” Romney’s chief of staff, Liz Johnson, told the Examiner. “In the meantime, we’re ensuring he’s well prepared to run if he chooses.”
During his first term, Romney stood out for his readiness to disagree with fellow Republicans on crucial matters. He gained a reputation for this stance after he voted to convict Trump in his initial impeachment trial in 2019. But in reality, his break with Trump appeared to come after the then-president rejected Romney’s bid to become Trump’s secretary of state.
“Romney’s chances are unclear in the reliably red state of Utah, which voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020 by wide margins, though conservative anti-Trump sentiment is more pronounced there than in other red states,” the Examiner noted further. “Meanwhile, Utah voters remain split on whether Romney should seek reelection, according to a recent survey from the Hinckley Institute of Politics and the Deseret News.”
Interestingly, Romney has actually taken Trump’s side in the case brought against by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, though he did so by also taking a jab at the former president.
“I believe President Trump’s character and conduct make him unfit for office. Even so, I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda. No one is above the law, not even former presidents, but everyone is entitled to equal treatment under the law. The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system,” he said.
“The charges and evidence will be duly considered and the outcome decided by a jury with an obligation to fulfill its responsibility with the utmost care and impartiality. The American voters will ultimately render their own judgment on the former president’s political future,” he added.
“Finally, it is also incumbent on all elected leaders to discourage violence and anger in response to this situation,” he said.
Other anti-Trump Republicans have backed the former president in Bragg’s case as well.
“Bragg’s predecessor didn’t take up the case. The Justice Department didn’t take up the case,” former Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said. “Bragg first said he would not take up the case. This is very political, not a matter of justice.”
“In this case, let the jury be the voters,” he said.
