WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will run for a U.S. Senate seat representing Utah and plans to announce his bid online on Thursday, multiple sources reported Wednesday.
Romney previewed his campaign again in a short Facebook post: “Stay tuned for my announcement on the Utah Senate race this Thursday,” the post said. “Visit www.mittromney.com to be one of the first to know!”
“Looking forward to making an announcement on February 15th about the Utah Senate race,” the 70-year-old businessman said in a Twitter post Feb. 1.
The race is to succeed Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who announced last month he would retire at the end of his term after serving as a U.S. Senator since 1977.
Three people with direct knowledge of the plan told the Associated Press Romney will formally launch his campaign in a video at roughly 9 a.m. Utah time Thursday. His first public appearance as a Senate candidate is scheduled for Friday in Provo. Romney is set to be in Provo to headline the Utah County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner Friday at 6 p.m. at Utah Valley Convention Center.
The people who provided the information asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about Romney’s plans in advance.
Romney was in the news last month as it was announced he was treated for prostate cancer last summer.
A source close to Romney told CNN he was treated surgically by Dr. Thomas Ahlering at UC Irvine Hospital in California, that the treatment was successful and his prognosis is good.
Romney has a home in Holladay and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
