SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Mitt Romney is preparing to announce a bid for Utah’s Senate seat held by retiring Orrin Hatch, a position some hope the 2012 GOP presidential nominee will use to continue his biting criticism of President Donald Trump.
Romney, who once called Trump “a phony” who was unfit for office, is not expected to address the president in an announcement video he has prepared for release online, according to people with direct knowledge of his plans.
Romney had planned to release the video on Thursday, they said, but he tweeted Wednesday night that he would not make an announcement about Utah’s Senate race because of the deadly school shooting in Florida. It wasn’t clear when he would reschedule his announcement.
Expected to be a heavy favorite to win Hatch’s seat, Romney is planning a campaign with a laser-focus on Utah and will suggest that Washington has much to learn from the state the former Massachusetts governor now calls home, said those with knowledge of his plans.
“I think Mitt’s going to make it very clear that he’s not running for the Senate because of or in spite of anything to do with Donald Trump,” said Spencer Zwick, Romney’s former fundraising chief who now leads fundraising efforts for House Speaker Paul Ryan. “I think Mitt Romney would be running for the Senate whether Donald Trump was the president or Hillary Clinton was the president.”