Mitt Romney passes on re-election run in 2024

Sen. Mitt Romney announced Wednesday he will not vie for re-election in 2024, opening up a Senate seat in Utah.

Romney, the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2012, had been one of the most vocal Republican critics of former President Donald Trump in the Senate. While he plans to leave the Senate in 2025, Romney underscored that he’s “not retiring from the fight.”

“Contrary to a lot of expectations, I enjoy my work in the Senate a good deal. The last few years have been particularly productive,” Romney said. “It is a profound honor to serve Utah and the country and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.”

Romney was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot