Staff Reports
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who is yet to decide on his reelection bid, has been hit with bad news as a new poll from Dan Jones & Associates reveals that a majority of 51% of Utah voters dislike the idea of Romney running again. Out of those polled, 49% somewhat or strongly disapprove of his performance, while only 41% approve. More shockingly, Democrats are more inclined to think he should run again at 55%, versus 54% of Republicans who do not. The poll results have come as no surprise to those who have followed Romney’s political career. While he claims to represent conservative values, the senator has been more focused on appeasing leftists through being the first-ever senator to vote along with the Democrats to impeach then-President Trump twice.
The reporting on the issue attributes Romney’s current standing to his tendency to offend every side of the political spectrum. Many disillusioned conservatives believe that he has garnered support from the Democrats through his willingness to criticize Trump while antagonizing Republican voters with his votes to impeach the former president. Political science professor John McCrain, from the University of Utah, referred to his unpopular strategy as “equal opportunity offending.” One professor thinks that Romney’s approval rating of 41% is not low enough to discourage him from running again; however, his persistent struggles with President Trump and the conservative base of the Republican party could harm him in future primaries.
.@SenatorRomney is getting boo’d loudly at the @UtahGOP convention. @fox13 #utpol #utgop pic.twitter.com/4vMwVnh6YI
— Ben Winslow (@BenWinslow) May 1, 2021
While Utah is known for being a conservative state, Romney’s decision to support impeachment decisions by the Democrats and make personal partisan attacks towards Trump severely jeopardized his chances of winning over the more conservative voters in the state. The senator has also refused to offer endorsements to other Republicans like Mike Lee, who managed to win their election campaigns last year without his support. He filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in April and has assembled a team to help him win a general election bid if he decides to run again. However, with his unfavorable ratings amongst his own party, it will be a running uphill battle for the senator.
Source: Townhall
