evidence: Sen. Mitt Romney’s exit from Congress in January leaves the already shrinking moderate bloc in Congress one man short. For the Republican conference, his seat is safe in Utah, a deeply red state. But it may not be occupied by a centrist like Romney. [...] In September 2023, Romney said he won’t run for reelection and will finish serving in office in January 2025. At the time, he said, "I’m hoping that in the year and a half I have left that we’re going to be able to take on some of those issues, particularly as it relates to the deficit and debt and immigration," he said. [...] Following Romney’s retirement news, Manchin of West Virginia, too, announced he isn’t running for reelection. His term also ends in 2025. At the time of his announcement, Romney said on X, formerly known as Twitter, he will miss the "American patriot in the Senate," but noted that their friendship and commitment to American values will continue. Manchin has regularly worked with Romney. The two worked together on legislation like the infrastructure bill and pandemic-era relief.