Introducing Trent Staggs, the Mayor challenging Mitt Romney in the primaries.

Mitt Romney: A ‌Betrayal of Utah’s ⁤Values

“I believe I can help⁢ bring Utah’s‌ values and Utah lessons​ to Washington,” declared Mitt Romney ⁢in the launch⁢ of ‍his 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate. “Let⁤ there be no question, I will fight for Utah.”

Predicated on a pledge of constituent representation, fiscal responsibility, and intellectual ‍integrity, Romney was elected​ to the U.S. Senate and currently serves in the upper chamber as Utah’s junior senator.

There’s⁢ just ⁤one problem. The ‌carpetbagging former governor⁣ of Massachusetts and 2012⁤ Republican presidential⁢ nominee has routinely ‌sold out ​the people whose​ values he pledged to faithfully represent and routinely‌ capitulated to the Washington ⁤establishment’s consensus.

Routinely showing himself ​to be out of touch with the wishes of his constituents, ‌Romney, nominally a conservative Republican, has ⁣so far voted with President‍ Biden’s radical agenda⁣ nearly ​ 60 percent of the ​time, long⁣ ago abandoning any semblance of fiscal or social​ conservatism. He also⁤ nearly sabotaged the reelection of his state’s senior senator, the stalwart conservative‍ Mike Lee.

[READ:[READ:GOP Senators Baffled By Mitt Romney’s Ploy To ​Oust Mike Lee — And Maybe Thwart A Majority]

So what are Utahns to do?

Trent Staggs: A Real ⁤Conservative for Utah

Trent Staggs, ‌the current mayor of Riverton, Utah, ⁢believes⁤ he has the answer: kick Mitt out of office.

Hoping to beat ⁣Romney in the ​upcoming Republican primary, ⁢Staggs⁤ is a first-time candidate for federal ⁤office who has‍ already raked up considerable local support from Utah’s Fraternal Order of Police and a bevy of municipal officeholders.

Speaking ⁤with The Federalist, Staggs emphasized his focus on⁣ actually amplifying the‌ concerns ‍of Utahns ⁣in Congress’s upper chamber, positioning⁤ his ⁣candidacy as a holistic rebuttal​ to Romney’s initial pitch.

“Conservatives nationwide understand how important it is to replace Mitt⁤ Romney with a real conservative,” he said. “He’s disconnected from Utahns. … I’m an America First candidate, and⁢ that’s what [Utahns] want.”

Romney notably voted to impeach former President Donald Trump and to codify same-sex “marriage” into federal law, ⁣and he fundraised on behalf of recently vanquished Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney who was one of the token Republicans⁣ on the House of Representatives’ bogus ⁤Jan. 6 Committee.

[READ:[READ:What Does Mitt Romney Even‌ Stand For? An Investigation]

Noting Romney’s absence⁢ from Utah’s last two Republican⁣ conventions, Staggs‍ said, “Maintaining accessibility and connection [with] constituents” is a major emphasis ⁢of his candidacy, while drastically reducing⁢ federal spending and scaling back federal regulation would be focal points⁤ of his tenure in the Senate.

“Spending is [the] No. 1 issue that​ [Romney] hasn’t ⁢taken seriously,” the mayor said, stressing his support for a balanced ‍budget amendment being added⁣ to the U.S. Constitution.⁣ “We‌ don’t have a revenue ​problem. ​… We have a spending problem,” said Staggs.

Staggs platform also expresses⁢ support for ⁤making sure⁣ “educators work for parents ‍and children, not the other way around,”⁣ purging the federal government of “wokeness,” making a‍ “return to federalism” wherein Western states will be able‍ to ⁢reduce the⁢ federal ‌government’s presence and use their land as they see fit, and establishing energy independence.

Having ‍forsaken⁤ the people he sought to serve, ​Romney has long prioritized‍ the maintenance of the ‍swamp’s⁣ status quo. Perhaps,⁢ Utahns would‌ be better served by someone who cares more about showing up than CNN appearances and writing NYT columns.

Samuel Mangold-Lenett is⁢ a staff editor‍ at‍ The Federalist. His writing has been featured in the Daily‍ Wire, Townhall, The ⁢American Spectator, and other⁣ outlets. He is a 2022 Claremont Institute Publius Fellow. Follow him on Twitter @smlenett.