Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, announced Tuesday he will retire from the U.S. Senate at the end of 2018 and will not seek an eighth term in office despite calls from President Trump for him to run again for his seat.
“Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves,” Hatch said in a video released Tuesday afternoon, referring to his boxing days. “For me, that 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 said. “Although I will miss serving you in the Senate, I look forward to spending more time with family, especially my sweet wife Elaine, whose unwavering love and support made all of this possible.”
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Hatch, 83, is the longest-serving Senate Republican and serves as the President pro tempore of the Senate. He is currently the third in line for the presidency behind Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
Should he run for re-election, Sen. Thad McCochran, R-Miss., would become the President pro tempore of the Senate.
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#BREAKING: Orrin Hatch to retire from Senate: "Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves" https://t.co/xlyrWWOKzg pic.twitter.com/Fxib9YFyX6
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 2, 2018
The move opens the door to a likely run for the Utah seat by former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney https://t.co/m4TwBPshl4 pic.twitter.com/lfy8VuDwRL
— POLITICO (@politico) January 2, 2018
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