Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said Wednesday he would not seek reelection to a second term in Congress in 2024.
Romney, who was the Republican Party’s Presidential nominee in 2012, was elected to the Senate in 2018 with 63% of the vote in Utah.
“Contrary to a lot of expectations, I enjoy my work in the Senate a good deal,” Romney said in a video message posted on social media.
He added that the last few years have been “particularly productive” amid work on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as comprehensive legislation regarding China, religious liberty protections and gun safety, as well as reforming the Electoral Count Act and funding Covid relief.
“I’ve spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another,” said Romney, who was also governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007. “At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-80s. Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders.”
The Senator’s remarks come amid recent scrutiny of an aging Congress and questions about whether there should be age limits for lawmakers.
Romney’s sentiment is in contrast to that of 83-year-old House Speaker Emerita, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who in recent days has rebuffed such criticism and announced that she will, in fact, run for another two-year term in the House in 2024.
In his announcement, Romney went on to criticize both President Biden (D) and former President Trump (R) for “not leading their party to confront” challenges currently facing the U.S., including mounting national debt, climate change, and the “ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China.”
On that note, Romney said that while he’s not running for reelection he’s also “not retiring from the fight,” vowing to serve out the duration of his term, which ends January 2025.
Romney ended by saying “it really is a profound honor to serve Utah and the country, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so.”
