Mitt Romney cites age concerns in announcing he won't run for reelection: 'Frankly, it's time for a new generation of leaders'

• Sen. Mitt Romney announced his decision to retire at the end of his term in January 2025.
• Romney, who's currently 76, said that "it's time for a new generation of leaders."
• Before he was in the Senate, Romney was a governor of Massachusetts and a GOP presidential nominee.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney announced on Wednesday that he will not be running for reelection in 2024 and will retire at the end of his term at the beginning of January 2025.

First reported by the Washington Post, Romney told the publication a reason for the decision was because he believes the next president will be either former President Donald Trump or President Joe Biden, leaders he said are "unwilling" and "unable" to lead, respectively.

At the exact same time the Post's report went live, Romney published a video to his government-verified Twitter account further detailing his decision.

"I've spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another," Romney, 76, said. "At the end of another term, I'd be in my mid-eighties. Frankly, it's time for a new generation of leaders."

"The next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership," he added.

In the video, Romney patted himself on the back for what he called a "particularly productive" few years in the Senate.

"Contrary to a lot of expectations. I enjoy my work in the Senate a good deal," Romney said. "The last few years have been particularly productive as I was able to help lead and negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure law, a comprehensive China strategy process, religious liberty protections, a compromised gun safety law, the Electoral Count Act, reform, and emergency COVID relief funding." 

According to the New York Times, Romney initially drew speculation over his retirement earlier in the year after it was revealed he was interviewed several times for an upcoming book where he reportedly dished about how GOP lawmakers "really view and talk" about Trump when he's not in the room.

In 2018, Utah voters elected Romney to the Senate in the midst of former President Donald Trump's time in office. Two years later, he was the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial, later leading to the Utah Republican Party to formally censure him.

Prior to his time in Congress, Romney served as the governor of Massachusetts and was the Republican presidential nominee in the 2012 election, where he lost against former President Barack Obama.