In a surprising announcement, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump, declared that he will retire at the end of his current term in 2025. This decision is expected to have far-reaching implications, potentially pushing the Senate GOP further to the right.
Romney cited the need for a new generation of leaders to shape the future as one of the reasons for his retirement. He also acknowledged his age, noting that he would be in his mid-80s if he served another term. His departure will mark the exit of one of the few GOP senators who openly confronted Trump, having voted to convict the former president in both impeachment trials and making history as the first senator from the president’s own party to do so in 2020.
This development comes at a time when the Senate Republican caucus has been shifting in a more Trump-aligned direction. In this year’s elections, six new Republicans were elected to the Senate, including four who had previously subscribed to election denialism. With Romney stepping down, the Senate will lose both a key Republican moderate and a skilled dealmaker, along with a prominent figure unafraid to challenge the potential 2024 GOP presidential nominee.
Mitt Romney’s political journey has been marked by complexity. As the former governor of Massachusetts and the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2012, Romney was known for his background in private equity and his efforts to expand healthcare during his gubernatorial tenure. However, he faced challenges in connecting with voters during his presidential campaign, and some of his comments, such as the “47 percent” remark, drew criticism.
After the 2016 election, Romney surprisingly praised Trump’s victory, despite their prior clashes. He sought consideration for the role of secretary of state. In the 2018 elections, Trump even endorsed Romney for the Utah Senate seat, despite previous animosity and reports of Trump favoring Senator Orrin Hatch for the position.
In subsequent years, Romney periodically criticized Trump, notably after the Charlottesville rally comments in 2017 and 2018. He escalated his critiques in 2019, publishing a Washington Post op-ed that questioned the president’s moral character. Tensions heightened further with the emergence of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump’s suggestion that Romney should be impeached in October 2019 marked a significant turning point.
Apart from his impeachment votes, Romney publicly challenged Trump on election denialism and pushed back against his criticisms of the Black Lives Matter movement. In his forthcoming book, he alleges that many in Congress share his concerns about Trump but fear for their careers and safety if they speak out.
Romney’s opposition to Trump did not come without consequences. A June 2023 Deseret News poll indicated that 54 percent of Utah Republican voters believed he should not run again. Romney also mentioned spending $5,000 on private security for his family due to threats from Trump supporters.
Beyond his opposition to Trump, Romney was known for his role as one of the few centrist Republican dealmakers. He played a part in bipartisan coalitions, including those behind the infrastructure bill and reforms to the Electoral Count Act. Romney also voted in favor of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation and advocated for a compromise on an expanded child tax credit.
Romney’s retirement is expected to lead to a competitive Republican primary for his seat in 2024, potentially resulting in a more conservative successor who aligns more closely with Trump. Several candidates, including Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Rep. Blake Moore, and Trent Staggs, mayor of Riverton, Utah, have expressed interest or been rumored as contenders. These contenders generally lean to the right and are expected to be more Trump-friendly.
The post-Romney era in the Senate may continue the trend of more conservative lawmakers aligned with the MAGA movement replacing their more moderate predecessors, shaping the dynamics of the Senate GOP in the years to come.