Sen. Mitt Romney, former Mass. gov., to step aside for next generation of leaders

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, will not run for reelection, he said Wednesday, saying in a message to Utahns "it's time for a new generation of leaders."

The former Republican nominee for president and governor of Massachusetts said that he enjoys working in the Senate and touted his accomplishments but noted that he'll be in his mid-80s if he were to win re-election next year.

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"Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in," Romney said.

Romney was elected to the Senate in 2018, six years after he lost his bid for president to President Barack Obama. He was the governor for Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and before that ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.