Many suspect that Utah Senator Mitt Romney’s party affiliation is merely nominal. Consequently, he faces a developing problem.
His difficulty began in May, when Riverton, Utah, mayor Trent Staggs declared his intention to run for the senator’s seat.
Staggs came out striking with a scathing critique of Romney, which proved to be only the beginning.
“Utah needs another proven fighter and conservative in the Senate,” Staggs wrote on Twitter. “We need someone unafraid to stand against the Washington establishment.”
“I’m not a career politician or a Massachusetts millionaire,” Staggs said in the accompanying campaign launch video. “I’m a mayor, a businessman, husband and father who wants his children to grow up with the same opportunities that I did.”
Utah needs another proven fighter and conservative in the Senate. We need someone unafraid to stand against the Washington establishment. That's who I am, but I need your help to get there https://t.co/yg5tnTG4mV pic.twitter.com/qof9JQYi7C
— Mayor Trent Staggs (@MayorStaggs) May 23, 2023
The announcement by Staggs was an immediate success. People inundated the comments with praise for the mayor, propelling the video’s view count to more than one million.
Less than two weeks after announcing his Senate campaign, Romney’s opponent made waves and received a key endorsement.
KUTV-TV obtained a press release from the Utah Fraternal Order of Police announcing the police union’s unanimous support for Staggs.
It appears that the mayor of Riverton actively sought out this endorsement.
“In light of the attacks on law enforcement in recent years, the very first endorsement I sought out was the Fraternal Order of Police,” Staggs told KUTV.
More on this story via The Western Journal:
“I wanted our local officers to know they’d always have my support, and I’m honored to have theirs. They deserve a Senator who is willing to stand beside them rather than march against them.”
The public’s apparently favorable opinion of Staggs and the police union endorsement are small but key victories on his path to Washington, D.C. CONTINUE READING…