Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he'll run for a US Senate seat in Utah, confirming months of speculation that he would return to national politics.
"I've decided to run for United States Senate because I've decided I can help bring Utah's values and Utah's lessons to Washington," Romney, a frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump, said in a video posted to Twitter on Friday.
Romney, a prominent businessman with close ties to the state, served as the governor of Massachusetts before becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2012.
He lost the election to Democrat Barack Obama.
Romney, a Mormon and the son of former Michigan Governor George Romney, served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.
Before that, he helped found the buyout firm Bain Capital and gained prominence after stepping in to lead the organising committee for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal.
Romney will be running to replace Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who announced in January that he would not seek re-election.
Hatch, 83, was first elected in 1976.
Australian Associated Press
