Last week, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) announced his retirement after the end of his term this year. At age 83, Hatch is the longest-serving Republican senator; having served for seven terms, he earned the title of President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 2015 and has been serving in the position since then. You can view his official retirement statement in the video below:
President Trump expressed desire for Hatch to run for an eighth term, but Hatch has denied Trump’s wishes, stating, “Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves, and for me, that time is soon approaching. That’s why after much prayer and discussion with family and friends, I’ve decided to retire at the end of this term.”
Hatch currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee; his departure will leave openings in these roles. As long as the Republicans continue to maintain their majority in the Senate after the upcoming elections, Iowa’s own Sen. Charles Grassley will likely reclaim the senior position on the Finance Committee.
The title of President pro tempore, granted to the most senior member, is the constitutional leader of the Senate and the second-highest-ranking official in the Senate, with the Vice President of the United States (who also holds the title of President of the Senate) being the highest-ranking. The President pro tempore presides over the Senate when the Vice President is absent and is third in the presidential line of succession behind the vice president and speaker of the house. If Republicans hold the majority, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) will claim the title, with Grassley next in line.
With Utah being a deeply-red state, there is little debate over another Republican winning the 2018 Senate election. Though no official statements have been made, there has been speculation of Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, and 2012 Republican presidential nominee, filling Hatch’s position as Utah’s next senator.
This could potentially spell trouble for Trump, as Hatch is a close ally of the president, but Romney has not hesitated to vocalize his disapproval of Trump or disagree with him on divisive matters in the past. Shortly after Trump expressed support for Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate election, Romney took to Twitter to speak out against Moore. Weeks before, Romney praised Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) following a speech featuring a harsh critique of Trump’s approach to foreign policy. When it comes to Trump, Michael Leavitt, former Republican governor of Utah, says Romney has “not been reluctant to speak his mind, and I can’t imagine he would change in the Senate.” With the president’s relationship with the GOP being rocky as is, Romney’s role as senator could complicate this relationship further.
