As President-elect Joe Biden begins his transition process, speculation is swirling about whether he will choose Cabinet nominees who are moderate or more progressive-leaning — or even Republicans.
Speaking to reporters, Romney said he has not been contacted by members of Biden’s team — and that he would not serve in the former vice president’s Cabinet.
“The answer is no I have not been approached, nor will I be approached, and I’m not going to be part of the Biden administration,” Romney said during a call with reporters on Tuesday.
He added, “I’ll be serving this term and who knows maybe even another one representing our great state.”
Romney was elected to the Senate in 2018 and would be up for reelection in 2024. He was also the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and ran against the Obama-Biden ticket.
He was also briefly considered to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, but he was ultimately not named to the position.
Biden and his team are now working on selecting officials to serve in his Cabinet. While the former vice president has won the White House, Democrats’ path to regain control of the upper chamber has continued to narrow. They would need to win two special elections in Georgia for the state’s Senate seats to win control.
Axios reported that Biden’s team might start to look at more moderate figures who they believe Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would give his party the green light to approve.