Mitt Romney failed to win the Utah Republican Party’s nomination for Senate on Saturday. It means that the former GOP presidential candidate will compete with 11 challengers in the state’s primary in June.
Romney is seeking to replace retiring U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, who previously stated that the former GOP presidential candidate is “perfect” for the Senate.
In February, President Donald Trump endorsed Romney despite their differences. The President described him as a “worthy successor” to Sen. Hatch.
Some political observers believe that Romney is the favorite Senatorial candidate in Utah. David Hansen, a longtime GOP strategist and chairman of Hatch’s political organization thought it would be difficult to defeat him if he runs in the state.
The results of the votes from delegates at the Utah GOP convention showed otherwise. State Representative Mike Kennedy obtained 50.88% and Romney got 49.12% of the votes.
After the results of the vote at the convention, Romney said, “This is terrific for the people of Utah. I really want to thank the delegates who stayed so late to give me the kind of boost that I got here today.”
