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SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney declined Tuesday to say he is running for Senate in Utah, but sounded a lot like a candidate during the more than an hour he spent onstage discussing public policy before a sold-out crowd of business leaders.
"I've got nothing for you on that topic," Romney told reporters and those attending the 2018 Economic and Public Policy Summit about what is seen as an all-but-certain run this year for the seat now held by retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
But the 2012 Republican presidential nominee had plenty to say about the lack of action on a number of issues in Washington, D.C., despite a Republican-controlled Congress and White House.
Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Romney said there has been "very little effort" so far to take action on the nation's "crushing" debt, improving education and working toward solving intergenerational poverty.
Dealing with entitlements is key to reversing the deficit, he said, pointing to his own proposals as a presidential candidate for Social Security and Medicare reforms aimed at "young people coming along."
He said Americans "understand we have to make some changes to these programs," noting he won among voters aged 65 or older despite calling for reforms.
Romney said he believes the GOP tax plan pushed by Trump will boost the economy long term and praised the lower corporate income tax rate, but said what impact it will have over the next few years is not clear.
He said Utah has a lot to teach the rest of the country after showing a series of slides comparing the state favorably to the United States on a number of issues, including debt and job growth.
Romney also said Republicans "will do just fine in 2018" because Democrats are scrambling over how to address the nation's strong economy and job growth. But he had little to say about whether he'd be a candidate.
The question of a Senate run was quickly shut down on stage during a question and answer session and again as a group of reporters raced alongside Romney as he left the downtown hotel ballroom.
"The time will come," Romney told reporters. "I've spoken about the topics I wanted to discuss today."
He said over the last few years, he has given similar presentations to groups around the country.
@KemGardnerInst director Natalie @Gochnour moderates discussion with Gov. @MittRomney on issues impacting the country and what Utah has to offer, remains highly optimistic about future. #UtahEO#utpol@saltlakechamberpic.twitter.com/4iaQgiyZuy
— Gardner Institute (@KemGardnerInst) January 16, 2018
Asked about a recent phone call with Trump where the Senate race was reportedly discussed, Romney said he was "not going to get into private conversations." He said there are "too many hypotheticals" to talk about what his relationship as a senator would be with the president.
Gov. Gary Herbert told reporters after speaking at the summit that he has encouraged Romney to run and sees him as a leader in the Senate.
“He’s well qualified to do it. He comes to the table with a lot of cachet,” the governor said. “He’ll hit the road running. I think he’ll have the ability to move up into leadership and have meaningful roles. He can do something most freshman senators only dream about.”
That could include taking over the top position in the Senate, now held by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Herbert said, to work alongside his running mate on the 2012 GOP presidential ticket, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.
“Who knows, in my wildest dreams, I can see him becoming the majority leader in the Senate and Paul Ryan still being speaker of the House. Think about it, Romney and Ryan leading in the Congress,” the governor said.
Herbert said he’d like to know for sure what Romney is doing sooner rather than later.
“I think he’s trying to get his ducks in a line. I think the sooner the better,” the governor said, because other potential candidates who don’t want to run against Romney are waiting. But, he said, Romney has “got to do it in his own time frame.”
Romney’s longtime friend, Kem Gardner, told the Deseret News last week that Romney was laying the groundwork for a Senate run by looking for a headquarters and putting together a campaign staff but wouldn’t be ready to announce until later this month.
Gardner said Tuesday that Romney told him he appreciated what amounted to “an announcement without announcing.”
