Orrin Hatch to Retire; Move Opens the Door for Mitt Romney's Return to Politics
January 2, 2018
Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch announced he will retire at the end of this year. The departure opens the door to a likely run by Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts governor. Romney reportedly indicated to associates last year that he would enter the race if Hatch chose not to run.
Now in his 7th term, Hatch is the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. He joined in early 1977 after winning in 1976. Only Vermont's Patrick Leahy, who entered the Senate in 1975, has served longer. Leahy was elected to an 8th term in 2016.
Romney would be the prohibitive favorite to win should he choose to run.
Headlines
The Road to 270: Mississippi
At the presidential level, the Magnolia State has voted for only one Democratic nominee since 1960. The population demographics drive remarkably consistent results every four years.
Hawaii Democratic Primary Results
Rescheduled from April 4, this party primary was conducted exclusively by mail
House Ratings Changes from Inside Elections
15 seats were updated, 7 of which moved to safe for the November elections
2020 Electoral Map Based on Polling Averages
This far out, polling may be of limited predictive value, but it will become more and more relevant as November draws closer
Oregon Primaries: Overview and Live Results
Having a long history of conducting elections by mail, the state was able to keep its original May 19 primary date. Live results for contested presidential and congressional contests
