Mitt Romney announces run for Utah Senate seat


After months of speculation, Mitt Romney has at last announced that he is running for the Utah Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R).
In a video shared on Twitter, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and former governor of Massachusetts says "Utah has a lot to teach the politicians in Washington," citing the state's balanced budget while D.C. is "buried in debt." Romney additionally says "Utah welcomes legal immigrants from around the world" while "Washington sends immigrants a message of exclusion,” a direct jab at President Trump.
In an October poll, The Salt Lake Tribune found that 75 percent of voters said Hatch should not run for an eighth term, while a plurality favored Romney as his replacement.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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