Mitt Romney on Friday morning officially announced that he would run for the open Senate seat representing Utah that retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) will vacate at the end of the year.
Romney’s announcement was expected this week, but was delayed by a day following a deadly school shooting in Florida.
I am running for United States Senate to serve the people of Utah and bring Utah's values to Washington. pic.twitter.com/TDkas6gD2p
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 16, 2018
In his campaign launch video, the former Republican presidential nominee mentioned his work for the 2002 Olympics in Utah and touted the state’s government.
“Utah has a lot to teach the politicians in Washington,” Romney says in the video, noting that Utah has balanced its budget. “Utah welcomes legal immigrants from around the world, Washington sends immigrants a message of exclusion.”
Romney, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, has been considering running for Senate since last year, and he has received Hatch’s blessing to run.