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SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Orrin Hatch acknowledged Tuesday that a seventh term in the U.S. Senate would be his last.
Speaking at news conference about public lands, the senator, who turns 78 next week, said he was a leader of the so-called Sagebrush Rebellion in his first term and sees the need for "further Sagebrush Rebellion during my last term in the Senate."
That assumes the six-term Republican wins re-election this year. Asked several months ago, Hatch was less definitive about running for what would be an eighth term at age 84, saying he probably wouldn't run again.
Hatch campaign manager Dave Hanson said Hatch wants "get it out there in a definitive way so people understood" he won't run again. Hatch, he said, sees it fitting to end his career on an issue that it began on.
Opponents, though, are pulling out all the stops to end his tenure this year. Hatch faces what may be his toughest run for office since being elected in 1976.
FreedomWorks, a tea party organization based in Washington, D.C., has spent more than $600,000 on a "Retire Hatch" campaign. Former GOP state Sen. Dan Liljenquist and state Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, are among those challenging Hatch inside the party.
So far, the campaigns have focused on wooing potential delegates to the state Republican Party convention. That drive culminates Thursday night at neighborhood caucuses where delegates will be selected. Those delegates choose candidates at the convention.
Hatch said he's "always concerned" about caucus night, but "let me just say this, we're gonna win this."
He called the campaign to oust him a "little more vicious" and described FreedomWorks as "loud mouths" who have nothing do with Utah but want to control its Republican Party.
"If we let those people come in here and take over this state I mean, my gosh, it's going to be a mess here," Hatch said. "I running a strong campaign to make sure that doesn't happen."
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