Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney announces Utah Senate bid

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced on Friday he would run for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah, confirming months of speculation that he would return to national politics.

"I've decided to run for United States Senate because I've decided I can help bring Utah's values and Utah's lessons to Washington," Romney, a frequent critic of Republican President Donald Trump, said in a video posted to Twitter.

Romney, a prominent businessman with close ties to the state, served as the governor of Massachusetts before becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. He lost the election to Democrat Barack Obama.

Romney will be running to replace Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who announced in January that he would not seek re-election. Hatch, 83, was first elected in 1976.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Editing by Bill Trott)