Mitt Romney fails to win Utah GOP nomination
Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, has failed to win the Utah Republican Party's nomination.
The former Massachusetts governor now must compete with 11 challengers in a June primary for the US Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Orrin Hatch.
Earning only 49.12 percent of the votes from delegates at the Utah GOP convention Saturday, he was not able to win the 60 percent to be able to head to the November ballot unopposed.
On the second round of voting, he emerged second to Utah state representative Mike Kennedy who gained 50.88 percent.
Following the vote, Romney said, "This is terrific for the people of Utah, and I really want to thank the delegates who stayed so late to give me the kind of boost that I got here today."
"We're going to have a good primary," added Romney, who was standing on the convention floor after the proceedings were adjourned.
Endorsed by President Donald Trump, Romney was considered the favorite by political observers. However, some delegates criticized him for being a latecomer to the state.
Romney "will make a great Senator and worthy successor to @OrrinHatch, and has my full support and endorsement!" Trump said on Twitter in February.
In the 2016 presidential campaign, Romney said Trump was a "fraud" who was "playing the American public for suckers."
In response, Trump said Romney had "choked like a dog" in his 2012 campaign against former President Barack Obama.
Despite the criticism, however, Trump briefly considered Romney for his secretary of state.
In February, Romney said he generally approved of Trump’s agenda, but would call out the president if needed.
"I'm with the president’s domestic policy agenda of low taxes, low regulation, smaller government, pushing back against the bureaucrats," Romney said. "I'm not always with the president on what he might say or do, and if that happens I’ll call them like I see them, the way I have in the past."
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