Utah House speaker enters crowded primary field to replace Romney in Senate

Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson launched his campaign to replace Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) in the Senate, entering a crowded field of primary challengers vying for the seat in the Beehive State.

Rumors of Wilson’s expected Senate run first circulated earlier this year after the state Republican leader created an exploratory committee to raise money and gauge the interest of GOP voters in the state. However, Wilson quickly jumped into action shortly after Romney confirmed his retirement in mid-September, announcing he would step down as state speaker later this year.

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“I’m running for the United States Senate because our nation is at a crossroads and we need a fearless conservative fighter with the backbone to get things done,” Wilson said. “The stakes are too high to settle for another go-along-to-get-along politician that’ll cut and run around and light the path to a brighter future.”

Wilson has an early advantage after raising roughly $2.2 million during the second quarter, a record-breaking fundraising haul for the most money raised by a GOP Senate candidate or potential candidate in their first three months. The haul left him with more than $2.1 million cash on hand.

More than 60 lawmakers in the Utah legislature endorsed Wilson to run for Romney’s seat, according to a memo first obtained by the Washington Examiner early last month. The list of endorsements includes a majority of Utah Republican legislators, comprising three-quarters of the state House and more than two-thirds of the Utah Senate.

Wilson’s announcement makes him the fifth candidate to throw his hat in the ring. Other prominent Republicans have been rumored to be considering a campaign, including former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who previously told the Washington Examiner in February that a Senate bid wasn’t something he was “actively pursuing” but that he was “keeping all my doors open.”

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However, Chaffetz has also hinted at running for other offices, such as governor, making it unclear whether he plans to run. Two of Utah’s House members, Reps. Blake Moore (R-UT) and John Curtis (R-UT), have also attracted rumors about a possible Senate bid, with both hinting it may be something they would pursue.

The race for Utah’s Senate seat is not expected to be competitive as the state is reliably Republican and has not elected a Democratic senator since 1970. However, it remains unclear which GOP candidate has a shot of winning the primary as recent polls show more than half of Utah voters are undecided.