Senator Mitt Romney of Utah announced he will not seek a second term in the United States Senate.
The Republican, who took office in 2019, will retire at the end of his current term in January of 2025.
In a video statement released on Sept. 13, Romney said he has enjoyed his work in the Senate and described his time as “productive.”
“I’ve spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-eighties,” said Romney. “Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders.”
“They’re the ones who need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in,” he continued.
Romney named a number of “critical challenges” facing Americans today, including “mounting national debt, climate change, and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China.”
He also detailed what he regards as failures on the parts of President Joe Biden as well as former President Donald Trump.
“Neither President Biden nor former President Trump are leading their parties to confront those issues,” the senator said. “On deficits and debt, both men refuse to address entitlements even though they know this represents two-thirds of federal spending. Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax and President Biden offers feel-good solutions that make no difference to the global climate. On China, President Biden under-invests in the military and President Trump under-invests in our alliances. “
“Political motivations too often impede the solutions that these challenges demand,” added Romney. “The next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership.”
Romney said he is “not retiring from the fight” and that he will continue to work on both national and state issues.
Prior to his time in politics, Romney was the co-founder of the investment company Bain Capitol and the CEO of the management consulting firm Bain & Company. The 76-year-old was the third-wealthiest senator in 2022 with an estimated net worth of $175 million.
Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and ran for president as a Republican in 2008 and in 2012. Although he secured his party’s nomination the second time, Romney was ultimately defeated by the Democratic Party’s selection, President Barack Obama.
“He also led the 2002 Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Winter Olympics and, with a team of volunteers and managers, helped turn the struggling Games into a Utah success story,” notes his website.
Romney has been a vocal critic of Trump. He told CNN in May that the Republican front-runner is “not suited to be president of the United States” amid legal proceedings brought against the former president by E. Jean Carroll.
“A jury of President Trump’s peers found him responsible for sexual assault. I hope the jury of the American people reach the same conclusion, which is he is not fit to become President of the United States,” Romney said in a separate interview.
Trump called Romney’s retirement announcement “FANTASTIC NEWS FOR AMERICA, THE GREAT STATE OF UTAH, & FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.”
“MITT ROMNEY, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS PIERRE DELECTO, WILL NOT BE SEEKING A SECOND TERM IN THE U.S. SENATE, WHERE HE DID NOT SERVE WITH DISTINCTION,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “A BIG PRIMARY FIGHT AGAINST HIM WAS IN THE OFFING, BUT NOW THAT WILL NOT BE NECESSARY.”
