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Article snippet: Longtime Sen. MORE to mount a political comeback and take the seat. Hatch, whose 41 years in the Senate make him the longest currently serving senator, will step down after 2018. Hatch’s decision immediately put the political spotlight on Romney, who remains highly popular in Utah and has become one of party’s most prominent critics of MORE. Romney and establishment Republicans remained tight-lipped about a potential Senate bid immediately following Hatch’s retirement announcement, instead heaping praise on the 83-year-old senator. “I join the people of Utah in thanking my friend, Senator Orrin Hatch for his more than forty years of service to our great state and nation,” Romney said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Ann and I wish Senator Orrin Hatch and his loving wife Elaine all the best in their future endeavors.” But Romney, 70, is widely expected to run for the deep-red seat, marking a jump back to politics after returning to the private sector following his failed 2012 White House campaign. Romney late Tuesday afternoon switched his Twitter location to Holladay, Utah. Tuesday’s announcement caps off months of speculation about a potential Romney bid, with allies of the former Massachusetts governor predicting he will likely enter the race now that Hatch has made his decision. “Nothing is imminently going to be announced, but I do think he is likely to run,” said a longtime Romney supporter. “There’s no big political roll-out that’s planned here. This al... Link to the full article to read more