Mr. Romney Goes to Washington

By Sarah Rumpf | 11:12 PM on November 06, 2018

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FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2018, file photo, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney waves after speaking about the tech sector during an industry conference, in Salt Lake City. Romney plans to announce Utah Senate campaign Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. Three people with direct knowledge of the plan say Romney will formally launch his campaign in a video. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Former Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney is heading to Washington, easily winning election to be Utah’s next Senator. Romney even won Salt Lake County, the bluest county in the conservative state.

Polls are closed. State elections website isn't showing results yet, but Salt Lake County is. And in Utah's bluest county, Mitt Romney is ahead. #utpol #electionday #utsen pic.twitter.com/wq3qtvmUjA

— Nicole Nixon (@_Nixo) November 7, 2018

Romney’s opponent was Democrat Salt Lake City Council member Jenny Wilson. He will replace Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who is retiring as the longest-serving Republican Senator in American history, first elected in 1977.

Previously serving as Governor of Massachusetts, Romney has long standing ties to Utah, through his family and the Mormon faith community, as well as his work with the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics — a massive project which Romney was credited with rescuing from financial and organizational disaster.

Romney was a vocal critic of President Donald Trump during the 2016 election, and many are predicting he may continue to pushback against Trump as a Senator.

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[Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly said Romney was the Governor of Michigan. He grew up in Michigan and was Governor of Massachusetts.]