Exclusive: The race to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is gaining momentum with the addition of another candidate. This is the first time since the senator announced last week that he would not run for re-election.
Rod Byrd Jr., the Republican mayor of Roosevelt, Utah, spoke to Fox News Digital and trashed Romney’s tenure, claiming the senator hasn’t delivered on the promises he made when he was first elected in 2018. did.
“When Mr. Romney ran for office, he campaigned on conservative values and gave hope to many people in this state,” Byrd said. “Many people believed that Mr. Romney would fight for us.” “We believed in them, but in many ways they sold us and did not keep their promises.”
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Roosevelt, Utah Mayor Rod Byrd Jr. and Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney. (Getty Images, Rod Bird Jr.)
Byrd, who has been Roosevelt’s mayor since 2018, said he wanted to run a campaign based on the “spirit of small town values” and “principles of individualism, limited government and freedom.” There is.
“There are a lot of career politicians in Washington who are working on their own policies,” he said. ”[Romney] He should have been walking down Main Street and talking to struggling small businesses and working families across the state, but he wasted no time marching with extremist groups like Black Lives Matter. ”
“My campaign is not about him or any individual; it’s about standing up for our God-given constitutional freedoms, working families, small businesses, and ordinary people who are suffering because of Joe Biden’s failed policies. It’s about fighting for.”
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Rod Byrd Jr., Mayor of Roosevelt, Utah and Republican Senate candidate (Rod Bird Jr.)
Bird said she grew up in extreme poverty and had to live in a 10-by-20-foot cabin with her family after losing their home in a fire. Since then, he has founded an oil and gas supply company, Paragon Oilfield Products, which has made him a multi-millionaire.
As President Roosevelt’s mayor, Byrd made a name for himself by staunchly opposing government orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing for tax cuts for Americans.
“I grew up with the belief that in America you can really come from nothing and create what you want in your life,” he told Fox. “I still wear boots and jeans to work every day. I am a person who understands the daily struggles of Utahns; Because I do.”
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In announcing his candidacy, Mr. Staggs was the first to publicly challenge Mr. Romney, whose rationale and support for certain policies and bills have enraged many voters in the party. He became a person. (Trent Staggs)
Mr. Romney’s retirement began a Republican frenzy to fill the seat with a more conservative candidate. Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson and Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs signaled they intended to launch a primary challenge against Romney earlier this year, but have not officially decided to seek the seat. Staggs is the only other candidate to launch a campaign.
Tim Ballard, the former Homeland Security official who was the inspiration for the hit movie “The Sound of Freedom,” said Friday he is “very seriously considering” running for the seat.
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