Mitt Romney coy on 2024 plans as potential rivals eye his seatSen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) remains publicly undecided about his political future as the 2024 race for his seat heats up.
Romney, 76, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in April, allowing him to fundraise for a potential reelection bid without officially getting in the race. Filings for the second fundraising quarter of this year show that his campaign committee has just under $1.6 million in cash on hand as of late July. The potential candidate raised less than $22,000 from individual donors in the second quarter, according to filings.
While the numbers are a small sum, the Utah senator and former presidential nominee has a large donor network and a $300 million fortune he’ll be able to tap into if and when he launches his bid for a second Senate term.
Romney, a prominent foe of former President Donald Trump, has repeatedly expressed confidence that he would win if he runs again, and polls don’t necessarily dispute his assertion. The 2012 GOP presidential candidate has dominated surveys of 2024 Utah voters, both in the primary and general elections. In addition to his strong polling, Romney also has time. The GOP primary in Utah is not until next June.
“I’m confident that I would win if I decide to run. I’ll have the resources, and I believe the people of Utah would be with me,” Romney told reporters in February.
A Romney campaign spokesperson did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment on the senator’s reelection plans, though the Utah Republican has said he expects to announce his decision sometime this fall.
In 2018, Romney won the Senate GOP primary with a comfortable margin despite failing to secure the state Republican Party’s nomination at their convention. He went on to deliver a 32-point victory in the general election.
Polling indicates the margins could be closer in this cycle’s primary, where Romney already has one GOP challenger and a number of others considering bids.
A number of those mulling a challenge have been encouraged to get in the race by Trump himself, who has long been vocal about his desire to oust the Utah senator from public office. ................
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/mitt-romney-2024-reelection-plans-utah-senate
