Mitt Romney will run to fill Orrin Hatch’s vacant Senate seat in the mid-term elections this November.
Hatch, who has held the seat since he was first elected in 1977, announced his retirement in early January stating:
“I was an amateur boxer in my youth, and I brought that fighting spirit with me to Washington. But every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. And for me, that time is soon approaching.”
Rumors have long been swirling that Romney would run as the Republican nominee to fill the seat. This morning, he released his video announcement on Twitter.
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
The video was originally planned to launch on Thursday, but was delayed in the wake of the deadly mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
In the video, Romney took quick swipes against the President’s immigration policy.
“Utah welcomes legal immigrants from around the world. Washington sends immigrants a message of exclusion. And on Utah’s Capitol Hill, people treat one another with respect.”
Though his views on immigration and health care stray from the Republican platform, Romney has been a favorite among Utah voters. Aside from his LDS faith, Romney was pivotal in the success of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic games. As Cheif Executive Officer of the Salt Lake City Olympic Committee, he and his team brought in tens of millions of dollars in profits. $40 million of that profit was set aside to maintain the Olympic facilities which are still used today by Olympians across the USA.