The longest-serving Republican senator will not seek re-election this year. Utah's Orrin Hatch has spent four decades in the Senate. He chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee and was instrumental in last month's passage of the big Republican tax bill. In a statement, the 83-year old Hatch said "every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves." Hatch is a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In a recent visit to Utah, President Trump publicly urged Hatch to seek re-election. Hatch's departure opens the door for Mitt Romney. Romney has expressed interest in a Senate run but was waiting for Hatch to announce his intentions. Romney is a former governor of Massachusetts and a longtime Utah resident. He was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 but lost the race to Democratic President Barack Obama.