It has been 11 years since Mitt Romney was crowned the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. In the past decade, the modern GOP — under former President Donald Trump's hand — has changed immeasurably. Romney, however, is one of the few in his party who has refused to bow to Trump. Now, that outspoken criticism could well endanger any hopes of renomination in a Utah Republican primary — if he even runs again.
Practically, Romney has some time to make up his mind, and this seat will stay in Republican hands no matter the nominee. The former Massachusetts governor's predecessor, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, didn't announce until January 2018 that he would retire, though Romney was ready and waiting in the wings. The state's filing deadline isn't until March 2024. The GOP nominating convention is the following month — but Romney faces a dead-end there, as he did during his first campaign for Senate. Instead, he would be widely expected to go the signature route, perhaps forgoing the state convention at all, where he has few, if any, allies,
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