Trump Ally Sean Reyes Is Preparing To Primary Mitt Romney For Utah Senate Seat
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, an ally of former President Donald Trump, is reportedly planning to primary Mitt Romney for his Utah Senate seat in 2024.
Politico revealed that Reyes is discussing a potential run with political players in state politics and supporters and allies associated with Trump.
A source for the outlet who is close to Reyes said he is “very seriously considering running” regardless of what Romney decides to do in 2024.
“He’s confident that regardless of what Senator Romney wants to do, he’s going to pursue this,” they told Politico.
Utah AG Sean Reyes is preparing for a 2024 Senate run that could pit him against Mitt Romney in a GOP primary.
Reyes backed Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 results and has been elected statewide three times.
— POLITICO (@politico) March 16, 2022
RELATED: Tulsi Gabbard Demands Mitt Romney Resign After He Accuses Her Of ‘Treason’
Sean Reyes May Challenge Mitt Romney in 2024
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Romney has a couple of options in the 2024 election cycle.
A national poll last month shows that Senator Romney runs even with fellow Republican Senator Ted Cruz at 4% of those voters making a choice for the Republican presidential primary.
That number ranks well below the 53% Trump received in the same poll, but would land him some votes.
Another poll one month earlier shows 64% of Republicans in Utah disapprove of Romney’s job performance, including half who strongly disapprove.
Last spring, the Senator had boos and catcalls cascaded down upon him from well over 2,000 Republican delegates at the Utah Republican State Convention.
ICYMI: Here is Romney getting booed:pic.twitter.com/x7BVX2X5i9
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) May 3, 2021
The Republican Party in Weber County, Utah, issued a formal censure of Romney for his multiple votes to convict Trump during his impeachment trials.
Trump issued a statement around that time calling the Utah senator “a stone-cold loser!”
BREAKING: Trump statement on Mitt Romney getting booed at the Utah Republican State Convention this weekend pic.twitter.com/HhqHBdQIRa
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) May 3, 2021
RELATED: Mitt Romney Blames ‘America First,’ Jabs Trump, Obama In Statement On Russia Invasion Of Ukraine
Romney’s Odd Behavior
Politico describes Sean Reyes as “a Trump loyalist” and reports that he’s met with the former President on two occasions “and each time Trump encouraged him to run against Romney.”
“When he meets with Trump, the only thing that comes up is ‘Will you run against Romney? I need you to run against Romney. Get that guy out,’” their source is quoted as saying.
Reyes backed Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results.
Asked about the prospect of running against Reyes, a confident Romney welcomed the challenge.
“Were I to decide to run again, the best news I could get would be that Sean Reyes was my opponent,” he said laughing and walking away.
On the news of Utah AG preparing to possibly primary him in 2024, Romney tells @burgessev:
“Were I to run again, the best news I could get would be that Sean Reyes was my opponent.” He laughed and walked off. w/ @dlippman https://t.co/kxrmI9DI46
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) March 16, 2022
Romney, often touted as center-right, moderate, or simply the voice of reason in the Republican Party, has been engaged in some extreme commentary and behavior of late.
He blamed the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Trump-touted concept of ‘America First.’
“Putin’s impunity predictably follows our tepid response to his previous horrors in Georgia and Crimea, our naive efforts at a one-sided ‘reset,’ and the shortsightedness of ‘America First,’” said Romney.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 24, 2022
This week, Romney joined Democrats as the only Republican to vote against repealing the transportation mask mandate.
Even eight Democrats had more courage than Romney and voted to end the yearlong mask charade.
Guess who the only Republican Senator was who voted to keep mask mandates on airplanes, yesterday?
You guessed it – Mitt Romney.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) March 16, 2022
He also engaged in truly extreme rhetoric, the likes of which you’d expect to hear “The View” or CNN, rather than a supposedly level-headed member of Congress, when he accused decorated Iraq War veteran and former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard of being a Russian asset and spreading “treasonous lies.”
Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 13, 2022
And, lest we forget, Senator Romney took part in a Black Lives Matter march to the White House in 2020.
Mitt Romney Joins Black Lives Matter Protest in Washington, D.C., as Trump Mocks Him #PeopleNow pic.twitter.com/plcSzbYBJh
— PeopleTV (@peopletv) June 8, 2020
Romney was filmed marching with protesters while explaining that he was walking “to make sure that people understand that Black Lives Matter.”
“We need a voice against racism … we need many voices against racism and against brutality,” he said. “And we need to stand up and say black lives matter.”
