U.S. Rep. John Curtis is seriously considering running to replace Mitt Romney in the Senate, his campaign manager told the Daily Herald on Thursday.

While the congressman hasn’t made a final decision, Adrielle Herring, Curtis’ campaign manager, said he is “very serious” about running for the seat and that is the direction his aides going in.

“What it really comes down to at this point is a question about whether he can do the most good in the House or the Senate,” Herring said.

Herring said Curtis has become “very effective” and pointed to Curtis being named the ninth most effective Republican in the U.S. House, according to a report from POLITICO earlier this year.

“He’s starting to think about where he can be most effective because being effective is what is most important to him,” she said. “He’s not in it for the prestige.”

The former Provo mayor is currently the founder and chair of the House Conservative Climate Caucus, which is now the second-largest caucus in the House.

Due to his work with the climate caucus, addressing climate issues is something he can bring to the Senate, Herring said.

“Now that he has got this up and running in the House, maybe it’s time to go get to work in the Senate making the same thing happen,” she said.

Herring said immediately after Romney announced he would not be seeking reelection in 2024, she began conducting polls to get a feel for how Curtis would do in a statewide race.

These polls, she said, showed overwhelming support for the current representative in matchups against declared candidates and potential contesters.

When asked about Gov. Spencer Cox giving a “tentative endorsement” to Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, who officially announced his candidacy Wednesday evening, Herring said she isn’t concerned about endorsements as Curtis has a strong track record, name recognition and the approval of many Utahns.

While Curtis is seriously considering running, Herring emphasized the decision hasn’t been made yet.

“So until he decides what he wants to do, it’s not decided,” she said.

Other Senate hopefuls

Wilson recently resigned from his position in the state Legislature in preparation for the race.

During his campaign kickoff party, he said Utahns had the opportunity to send a “conservative fighter” to the nation’s capital, saying, “I am that conservative fighter.”

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs announced he would be running for Senate well before Romney’s revelation that he wouldn’t be running. Recently, the mayor received an endorsement from former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake when she headlined a campaign fundraising event for the Senate hopeful this month.

Anti-human trafficking activist Tim Ballard, who founded Operation Underground Railroad, has also been rumored to be considering a run. Recently, Ballard became the subject of controversy after several women accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement saying the activist misused the name of apostle M. Russell Ballard and was involved in “morally unacceptable” activity, according to the Deseret News.

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