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Possible Romney challenger reports record fundraising haul as he considers primary bid
Washington Examiner ^ | July 11, 2023 | Carni Mondeaux

Posted on 07/12/2023 8:04:46 AM PDT by Twotone

A prominent Republican lawmaker in Utah has raised more than $2 million since launching an exploratory committee to challenge Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), breaking the record for the most money raised by a GOP Senate candidate or potential candidate in their first three months.

Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson has raised roughly $2.2 million since launching the committee in April, giving the GOP leader a hefty war chest as he considers a primary challenge to Romney next year. Nearly half of the sum was raised by in-state donors, while $1.2 million comes from Wilson’s own personal contribution, according to the committee.

“Since announcing an exploratory committee for U.S. Senate, I have traveled to every corner of the state to meet with Utahns. Their message is loud and clear: Utah wants a bold, proven, conservative leader in the U.S. Senate,” Wilson said in a statement. “I am encouraged by the enthusiastic support we’ve received so far. This finance report is only the beginning and shows that should I decide to run, we will have the resources and firepower we need to get our message out — and win.”

The contributions leave Wilson with more than $2.1 million cash on hand, putting him in a strong position to take on Romney, who had just over $604,000 in the bank at the end of March, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Romney has not announced whether he intends to run for reelection. However, the first-term incumbent filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC in April to allow his campaign to begin fundraising.

If both he and Wilson decide to run, it could set the stage for one of the most competitive GOP primaries of the 2024 cycle.

If he ran, Romney would benefit from his long reputation as a prominent national figure, previously serving as the governor of Massachusetts and being chosen as the 2012 Republican nominee for president.

Although Romney benefits from national name recognition, the Republican senator has attracted backlash due to his willingness to break with his party on several issues, especially regarding former President Donald Trump. Romney is the only Republican senator to vote to impeach Trump twice, making his chances unclear in the reliably red state of Utah, which voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020 by wide margins. However, conservative anti-Trump sentiment is more pronounced in Utah than in other red states, which could boost his standing.

Recent polling shows Utah voters are split on whether Romney should run for another term, with only 47% saying he should run compared to 51% who say he should not, according to a poll from Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics. Another 3% said they were unsure.

Meanwhile, Romney has expressed confidence in his chances should he run for a second term.

“I’ll make that assessment over the coming months, and sometime in the spring or summer, I’ll make that decision,” Romney told reporters in February. “I’m confident that I would win if I decide to run. I’ll have the resources, and I believe the people of Utah would be with me.”


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: 2024; 2024election; bradwilson; election2024; mittromney; utah

1 posted on 07/12/2023 8:04:46 AM PDT by Twotone
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To: Twotone

I sure hope this challenger isn’t another worthless RINO


2 posted on 07/12/2023 8:09:48 AM PDT by CarolinaReaganFan
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To: Twotone

Mitt is counting on Mitch McConnell’s PAC money to swamp the Utah airwaves, and drag his sorry RINO rear-end back to D.C. for another 6 years.

Mitch loves uni-party stalwarts. That’s why Lisa Murkowski still infests the Capitol.


3 posted on 07/12/2023 8:10:25 AM PDT by BrexitBen
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To: CarolinaReaganFan

I suspect there will be several challengers to split the anti-Romney vote.


4 posted on 07/12/2023 8:10:28 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Twotone

“Possible Romney challenger reports record fundraising haul as he considers primary bid”

Romney made the mistake of attacking Trump...he ASKED FOR THIS.


5 posted on 07/12/2023 8:17:49 AM PDT by BobL (Trump has all the right Enemies; DeSantis has all the wrong Friends)
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To: Twotone

Getting Romney reelected will be JOB NUMBER ONE for the ruling oligarchy, similar to how they put their shoulders to the wheel to get Murkowski reelected.

Of the 17 Reps and Senators that voted to impeach or convict Trump, only 6 remain, two in the House and four in the Senate.

Of those in the Senate, Cassidy and Collins were safely reelected in November 2020 just before their conviction votes in January 2021.

Murkowski was reelected in 2022 thanks to the ranked choice voting scam.

And Romney is up in 2024.


6 posted on 07/12/2023 8:22:37 AM PDT by cotton1706
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To: Twotone

Is Wilson also a Mormon? If not, I don’t see him pulling it off, unfortunately.


7 posted on 07/12/2023 8:23:50 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: All

I was under the impression that the state’s Atty General had already announced a primary challenge.


8 posted on 07/12/2023 8:23:51 AM PDT by Owen
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To: Twotone

It’s going to make Romney cry


9 posted on 07/12/2023 8:27:31 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: Twotone

I wish Wilson well, but a half million from Utah, another half mil from out of state, and 1.2 of his own.......does not impress.


10 posted on 07/12/2023 8:32:23 AM PDT by chiller (Davey Crockett said: "Be sure you're right. Then go ahead'. I'll go ahead.)
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To: dfwgator

I suspect there will be several challengers to split the anti-Romney vote.“

Classic GOPe tool to subvert the will of the base. Graham, McCain, Flake and many others were saved by it. Ranked voting is another one


11 posted on 07/12/2023 8:53:50 AM PDT by gibsonguy
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It would be a wonderful day to rid the GOP of Munt


12 posted on 07/12/2023 9:23:54 AM PDT by dsrtsage ( Complexity is just simple lacking imagination)
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To: Twotone

Good

Bye bye Willard


13 posted on 07/12/2023 10:34:37 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: Twotone

Romney the traitor needs to go the way of Cheney the traitor

Mitt should be unemployed kissing libtard butt on PMSNBC


14 posted on 07/12/2023 11:02:56 AM PDT by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
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To: Twotone

Can we have names? GTHRR!


15 posted on 07/12/2023 11:09:37 AM PDT by TribalPrincess2U (D.I.S.T.R.A.C.T.I.O.N.S.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Is Wilson also a Mormon?

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Utah is jammed packed with mormons, any one of which would be better than Romney.


16 posted on 07/12/2023 2:54:32 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (Celebrating 42 years of sobriety this year, thank you Heavenly Father.)
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