Former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden is urging Mitt Romney to run for the U.S. Senate next year.
Politico reports that Biden encouraged Romney to run at Romney’s annual E2 Summit in Park City.
During a closed-door appearance with Romney here on Friday evening, Biden said Romney should consider a Senate bid. The remark came during the second day of the E2 Summit, an annual Romney-hosted donor conference. Attendees were gathered to hear a dialogue between the two men, who were on opposite sides of the 2012 election.
Romney, according to two sources present, offered little by way of response other than to smile. The audience — filled with Romney contributors and political allies — applauded in response.
As UtahPolicy.com previously reported, Sen. Orrin Hatch is leaning toward retiring in 2018 instead of running for another term in Washington. That announcement could come sometime this summer or in the fall. At the same time, Romney is reportedly actively considering seeking Hatch’s seat.
Hatch is 83 years old and would be 90 at the end of another six-year term.
Romney spoke the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about Hatch’s seat earlier this year. During that conversation, McConnell reportedly encouraged Romney to run.
