Romney steps in as Halloween dog parade emcee

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) stepped in as the emcee for the annual bipartisan Halloween dog parade after host Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19.

“Glad to host some furry friends in the Senate today for @SenThomTillis’ annual Bipawtisan Howl-o-weed Dog Parade!” Romney posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “I may be biased, but our office (hot) dog Goldie was the star of the show.”

Dogs are seen before the annual Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Pawrade in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. (Greg Nash)

Dogs dressed in costumes ranging from the Chinese spy balloon to "The Magic Omnibus” collected in the Hart Senate Office Building Tuesday as crowds of congressional staff looked on.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) hosts the Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Pawrade in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. (Greg Nash)

Tillis, who said he would return to Washington next week, began hosting the dog parade in 2017 to bring together lawmakers and their staff “for a cause [everyone] can unite for: dogs in costumes,” his office told ITK. Tillis nixed the 2020 event due to the pandemic but the dog bash has been in full swing since.

“Thank you to all who came out for this year’s Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Parade, and a special thank you to @SenatorRomney for filling in for me,” Tillis said in a post on X.

A dog takes part in the annual Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Pawrade in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. (Greg Nash)

Romney also made headlines Tuesday for sharing a photo of him and his wife, Ann, dressed in costumes. They appeared to be hopping on the celebrity gossip bandwagon wearing clothes that resembled Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift

The Utah Republican announced last month that he would retire from the Senate at the end of his term.