Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, announced he will not seek reelection to his Senate seat in 2024, setting the stage for what could become a competitive GOP primary to replace the one-term senator in the Beehive State.

Romney made the announcement on Wednesday, citing his age as a primary reason he did not want to seek another six years in the upper chamber. If he ran and won next year, Romney would be 82 years old when finishing out his second term. Instead, the junior senator said it was time “for a new generation of leaders,” opening up the seat to a wide array of candidates eager to replace him.

So far, only one candidate has officially declared his candidacy to run for Romney’s seat: Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. Although the mayor has never held statewide office, Staggs has managed to garner support from other local lawmakers as well as high-profile national Republicans such as Mark Levin, Harmeet Dhillon, and Charlie Kirk.

“Now is the time to give Utah the conservative champion they have long deserved,” Staggs told the Washington Examiner shortly after Romney announced his retirement. “We need America First warriors in the Senate, and I plan to give that to Utah.”

However, Staggs could still face an uphill battle in the fight to replace Romney, especially as other local Republicans eye the coveted seat.

Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson launched an exploratory committee earlier this year, reporting a record-breaking sum raised by a GOP Senate candidate or potential candidate in their first three months. Wilson has not yet declared a Senate bid. Wilson has raised roughly $2.2 million since launching the committee in April, leaving him with more than $2.1 million cash on hand.

More than 60 lawmakers in the Utah legislature endorsed Wilson to run for Romney’s seat, according to a memo first obtained by the Washington Examiner early last month. The list of endorsements includes a majority of Utah Republican legislators, comprising three-quarters of the state House and more than twothirds of the Utah Senate.

“It’s humbling to have the support of so many of my legislative colleagues. From my perspective, at least, these are the people that have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with me for many, many years. They know me best, they know my conservative perspective on things,” Wilson told the Washington Examiner in August. “What they have told me, my legislative colleagues, is very similar to what I’ve heard as I’ve traveled all over the state of Utah, which has been: Utah needs back in D.C. a bold, conservative, results-oriented fighter that can take the conservative way we do things in Utah and get things done in D.C.”

Other prominent Republicans have been rumored to be considering a campaign, including former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who previously told the Washington Examiner in February that a Senate bid wasn’t something he’s “actively pursuing” but that he’s “keeping all my doors open.”

However, Chaffetz has also hinted at running for other offices, such as governor, making it unclear whether he plans to throw his hat in the ring. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, who represents Utah’s 1st Congressional District in the northern part of the state, has also attracted rumors about a possible Senate bid, although he has not indicated whether that is something he would pursue.

The race for Utah’s Senate seat is not expected to be competitive as the state is reliably Republican and has not elected a Democratic senator since 1970. However, it remains unclear which GOP candidate has a shot of winning the primary as recent polls show more than half of Utah voters are undecided.