Romney focusing his Senate bid on Utah
about the Senate race because of the deadly school shooting in Florida.
It wasn’t clear when he would reschedule his announcement.
Expected to be a heavy favorite to win Hatch’s seat, Romney is planning a campaign with a laser-focus on Utah and will suggest that Washington has much to learn from the state the former Massachusetts governor now calls home, said those with knowledge of his plans.
“I think Mitt’s going to make it very clear that he’s not running for the Senate because of or in spite of anything to do with Donald Trump,” said Spencer Zwick, Romney’s former fundraising chief who now leads fundraising efforts for House Speaker Paul Ryan. “I think Mitt Romney would be running for the Senate whether Donald Trump was the president or Hillary Clinton was the president.”
Romney’s small team of longtime advisers plans to maintain a low profile. Having turned down repeated requests for national media appearances in recent days, Romney is carefully designing his campaign launch to avoid media questions about Trump.
Those with knowledge of his plans spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
Romney, one of the most famous Mormons, is widely liked and respected in Utah, which is heavily Mormon. He attended Brigham Young University in Provo, helped turn around the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and made Utah his primary home after losing the 2012 presidential election.
In addition to his name recognition, Romney has a deep network of fundraisers and his own personal wealth to help carry him.