The plus side for Romney is he’s worked the state now for almost a decade so he’s certainly well known and well respected among New Hampshire Republican elites. – Dante Scala, University of New Hampshire
SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney is reaching out to key backers about a third run for the White House, including Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who said Tuesday the former GOP presidential candidate called him over the weekend.
"He told me it was true that he was thinking about it," Chaffetz said. "He said, 'I would appreciate your perspective and your advice,' as they go about making this final decision."
That decision should come by Memorial Day, the congressman said.
Chaffetz, who campaigned for Romney around the country in the Republican's 2012 race against President Barack Obama, said he offered his support but wasn't ready with any advice.
"I just told him how excited we were and that he would have an exceptional opportunity," Chaffetz said, describing Romney as the GOP's best chance for winning the presidency in 2016, even against former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Romney, Chaffetz said, is "well vetted. He was right on the issues. And he’s one of the only people who can raise a billion dollars to beat Hillary Clinton. I think he checks all of those boxes, and really nobody else does."
Should Bush be chosen as the Republican Party's nominee, Chaffetz said he would back him against the Democratic Party's likely pick at this point, Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state.
But, the congressman said, Romney "is the more conservative candidate and ultimately has more appeal to the public. I don’t think the country is in a mood to see Bush vs. Clinton again."
The news that Romney was serious about another presidential run began surfacing late last month, when both his longtime friend, Kem Gardner, and his campaign finance director, Spencer Zwick, told the Deseret News that Romney was eying the race.
Then last week, Romney told a group of donors to his past campaigns that he might get in the race. On Monday, Romney's running mate in 2012, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced he would not run in 2016 as many expected.
The possibility of another Romney campaign is already generating interest in New Hampshire, where the nation's first presidential primary election is traditionally held, University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala said.
"The plus side for Romney is he’s worked the state now for almost a decade so he’s certainly well known and well respected among New Hampshire Republican elites," Scala said.
But for Romney, who served as governor in neighboring Massachusetts and won the New Hampshire primary in 2012, that respect may not translate into support as the state gears up for an election about a year away, he said.
"I think there were expectations this time around we’re going to see some new faces, some new political talent," Scala said. "The more pragmatic question is: What’s going to be different about Romney this time?"
Scala said moderate Republicans in New Hampshire could end up splitting their votes between Romney, Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another potential candidate, opening the door for a more conservative Republican to win the state.
Both Romney and Bush, the son of one president and the brother of another, know what they're getting into, Chaffetz said. He said he's not sure what would stop Romney now.
"There's always something that can pop up. But he's been through this and understands this," Chaffetz said of Romney, who lost the GOP nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2008, his first presidential race.
Romney's efforts to be seen as a potential candidate are a way to make sure his staffers, supporters and especially the donors who contributed close to $1 billion in 2012 don't defect to another campaign.
Chaffetz said Romney should be able to hang onto to his campaign contributors.
"He's certainly got them all thinking. Donors like to back the winner. He's making it clear that here he comes," he said.
As chairman of the powerful House Oversight Committee, Chaffetz said he might not have the time to hit the campaign trail as hard for Romney this time but stands ready to help.
While the committee will be focused on the Obama administration and especially what he termed "the mess at the State Department," Chaffetz said that doesn't make the committee "a political bludgeoning tool. … That's doing our job."
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