The Republican field hoping to replace Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate grew by one on Monday, with Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr. joining the fray.
Another rumored candidate, former Trump national security advisor Robert O’Brien, revealed he was not interested in replacing Romney next year.
Bird is the third Republican seeking the party’s nomination next year, joining House Speaker Brad Wilson and Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. Wilson announced he was resigning from the Utah Legislature in November to focus on the campaign.
The White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien makes remarks at a national security summit Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, in Salt Lake City. O'Brien said the United States will not tolerate any election interference from foreign countries. O'Brien said he told his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, to "stay out" of the November election and that there would be severe consequences for any country that violates that directive. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In a news release announcing his bid, Bird looks to focus on several conservative red meat issues.
“We need to get federal spending under control and get back to the basics that have made our country great. It’s time to get serious about securing our border, guarding American jobs, rescuing our constitutional rights and putting regular people ahead of special interests,” Bird said.
Bird was first elected to the Roosevelt City Council in 2013. He’s currently midway through his second term as mayor, having been first elected to that post in 2017.
O’Brien, who served as former President Donald Trump’s national security adviser from 2019 to 2021, was reportedly being pushed to run for Romney’s seat by some Republican members of Congress. He threw cold water on that idea Monday, telling radio host Glenn Beck on Monday he would not run.
