Senator Mitt Romney, a vocal opponent of former President Donald Trump, may face a serious primary challenge in 2024 from Sean Reyes, the Utah Attorney General.
Reyes, who was a strong ally of Trump, also served as Utah’s co-chair for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
Over the past several weeks, Reyes has detailed interest in running with key political figures in Utah politics, as well as with other associates of Trump, per a Politico source familiar with Reyes’s plans.
Reyes has been elected to statewide office a total of three times, and he is likely to announce his 2024 intentions in May.
In remarks to Politico, an unnamed source has declared that Reyes ” is very seriously considering running, regardless of if [Romney] runs or not.”
Regardless of what Romeny ultimately chooses to do, Reyes remains “confident” about pursuing the senator’s seat.
Senator Romney has yet to formally disclose his plans for 2024, though the former Massachusetts governor and former Republican presidential candidate is apparently being urged to make another run for the presidency, especially when accounting for the encouragement of anti-Trump Republicans.
However, numerous political operatives throughout Utah have informed Politico that Romney is likely to retire at the end of his current Senate term, rather than make another run for the presidency.
In September and December 2020, Reyes apparently had private meetings with then-President Trump, and during each of these meetings, Trump strongly urged Reyes to take aim at Romney’s seat.
According to the unnamed source, “when [Reyes] meets with Trump, the only thing that comes up is ‘Will you run against Romney?’”
The source also noted that Trump instructed Reyes to “get that guy out” in reference to Romney.
Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is a Trump advisor, has proclaimed that Reyes demonstrates both magnetism and substance, declaring “there is a reason” for his selection as one of the last speakers at the 2020 Republican convention.
“Many of us … have enthusiastically encouraged him to run for Senate regardless of what Mitt decides to do,” Guilfoyle brayed in remarks to Politico.
