One writer for The Week recently made the case that Utah doesn’t need Mitt Romney to become one of the state's senators.
W. James Antle II wrote this week that Romney’s predicted Senate run might not be necessary, since the state already has a conservative senator who can lead the #NeverTrump campaign.
“It seems like a lifetime ago now, but Lee was among a handful of consequential lawmakers to hold firm to his anti-Trump convictions at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. He also clashed with the RNC over the rules, defying his mild-mannered reputation as he demanded points of order and shouted ‘No!’ on floor votes."
Recent rumors and reports have suggested that Romney will run for Senate, especially now that Sen. Orrin Hatch announced plans to retire at the end of the year.
As The Week wrote, many conservatives want Romney to run to combat the Trump agenda.
But, Antle said, Lee may be a better fit.
Antle wrote:
“Utah is a red state where voters don't mistake fealty to Trump for commitment to conservative principles. But not every Republican elected there provides an equally compelling alternative. On that, Lee trumps Romney."
Read more at The Week.
Conversely, Hal Boyd, former Deseret News opinion editor, made the case in the National Review that it’s time for Romney to become senator.
Boyd said Romney wouldn’t have to play normal politics, giving him freedom to do good work for the country.
“A Senator Mitt Romney would no longer need to flatter. He would no longer need to pander, jockey for position, or map out some future bid for higher office,” the article, written for the conservative magazine, stated. “Rather, he would at last be free to find solutions to the nation’s challenges with the backing of a base that seems to trust him far more than most. After a career spent straining to reassure an unending string of wary constituencies, that would be a relief.”