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SALT LAKE CITY — Brent Orrin Hatch on Tuesday filed as a candidate running for Mitt Romney's Senate seat, which was previously held by Hatch's father, the late Sen. Orrin Hatch.
Although he hasn't held any elected office, Hatch previously worked in Washington as an associate White House counsel to President George H.W. Bush and a law clerk to former Judge Robert H. Bork.
"I am not a professional politician. I left Washington at an early age. I have worked for over 33 years here in Utah as a lawyer protecting the rights of individuals and companies," Hatch said in a prepared statement announcing his candidacy. "But I still have an insider's knowledge of the highest levels of government from serving Presidents Reagan and Bush in the White House, working with Congress, and in the courts."
Hatch pointed to perennial political flashpoints such as the federal budget, inflation and border security as policy areas where the government "cannot continue like it has for the past several years."
"We need to elect people who have had real jobs, had to make payrolls, and are not wed to lobbyists and the political class — people who speak plainly and use common sense," he said in the statement.
Like his father, who was known as a staunch conservative but respected by politicians across the spectrum, Hatch said that he plans to focus on his personal relationships with colleagues — on both sides of the aisle — to advance his goals.
"That's the one thing my father blessed me with ... he was a very conservative guy, but he got along with everybody," Hatch told KSL.com Tuesday. "He treated people with respect, and as a result he was able to work with people across the aisle but not lose his conservative foundation."
A graduate of Columbia University, Hatch said he learned to do the same with many classmates whom he described as "very liberal."
"By the time I left that place, a lot of those people were some of my best friends because I treated them like a person would want to be treated," he said.
Hatch blames much of the current polarization on "professional politicians" who appeal to the baser instincts of voters in order to boost fundraising, saying he doesn't "have time for that." He spoke of the friendship between Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who occupied near-opposite ideological lanes on the bench.
Although former President Donald Trump — the de facto leader of the modern GOP and front-runner for the 2024 nomination — has embodied much of the brash, vindictive style abundant in today's politics, Hatch said he would support whichever Republican candidate wins Utah's delegate vote.
When asked about Trump's increasingly stark campaign rhetoric — including suggesting that former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley be executed — Hatch said the former president "has a very unique style," but that he remains committed to supporting anyone but the current president.
"I trust the people of Utah will be wise and they'll make a good selection," he said. "But what I do know is, we can't stand another four years of Joe Biden."
While his father spent more than four decades in Washington, Hatch differentiated between him and other "career politicians" because his father "never did anything for the money," instead focusing on policies to improve life for Utahns.
"I'm not doing it to try to get ahead, I'm doing it because I believe and care about the issues," he said. "It's been kind of sad that Utah hasn't gotten the kind of representation I think it deserves for the last several years."
Hatch is the latest of several candidates to join the race for Romney's seat, after the state's junior senator opted not to seek a second term. Romney succeeded Sen. Orrin Hatch upon his retirement in 2018. The elder Hatch had served in the Senate for 42 years and was the longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history before he was surpassed by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2023.
Romney's decision to step back from the political stage leaves his seat open for contest, a rare occurrence for the coveted space in the Senate chamber. Hatch joins a crowded field of primary contenders, including former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson and Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs.
Wilson has loaned himself more than $1 million for campaigning, as did Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr., likely ensuring the race will rival the most expensive campaigns in state history.
Carolyn Phippen, a former staffer to Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has also joined the race, along with accountant Josh Randall.
Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, on Tuesday also announced he would run for Romney's old seat.
