SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — On Wednesday morning, Sept. 13, Utah Senator Mitt Romney announced he would not be seeking re-election to the Senate, leaving a question mark on who will be taking over.
As of Wednesday, Sept. 13, three candidates have officially announced their bids for Romney’s seat in the U.S. Senate, with more exploring options.
According to the Federal Election Commission, the following have announced their intentions to run for Romney’s seat:
- Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs
- Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson
- State Delegate Tyrone Jensen
- CEO Gabriel Lobo-Blanco
Staggs announced his intention to run for Senate in May earlier this year. Lobo-Blanco announced he had filed to be a candidate in June while Jensen officially made his bid in April. Wilson, meanwhile, has not officially announced his bid but did launch an exploratory committee, and received several endorsements.
In statements following Romney’s announcement, both Staggs and Wilson released statements thanking Romney for his service.
“My message will not change,” said Staggs. “Thank you for stepping aside, Senator Romney. Onward to ensure that Utah has the America First, small government champion they deserve and I intend to be that.”
“We are at a crossroads and it’s never been more important to elect a strong conservative fighter to the U.S. Senate,” said Wilson. “The stakes are too high and we need a leader with the guts to stand up and get things done for the people of this state.” Wilson ended his statement telling the public to “stay tuned.”
As more statements come in from other candidates, we will update this story. We will also update this story as additional candidates announce their intentions to run.
This is a developing story. ABC4.com will update this post as more information becomes available.
