Orrin Hatch To Retire, Paving Way For Mitt Romney To Join The Senate
Trump critic Mitt Romney likely to join Senate in 2018.
A new report confirms what has long been speculated in political circles, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah will retire and won’t run for re-election.
It has been rumored that Mitt Romney plans to run for the Utah Senate seat.
The possibility of Romney joining the Senate raises important implications for President Trump who Romney has been a fierce critic of.
As The New York Times notes, “Mr. Hatch, 83, was under heavy pressure from Mr. Trump to seek re-election and block Mr. Romney, who has been harshly critical of the president. But Mr. Hatch, who emerged as one of the president’s most avid loyalists in the Senate, decided to retire after discussing the matter with his family over the holidays. The veteran senator was also facing harsh poll numbers in Utah, where 75 percent of voters indicated in a survey last fall that they did not want him to run again.”
Orrin Hatch confirmed the news in a statement on his Twitter page.
An announcement from Senator Orrin G. Hatch. #utpol pic.twitter.com/UeItaLjR3j
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) January 2, 2018
Hatch is the longest-serving Republican in the Senate.
[image via CSPAN]
