Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling on Republican presidential primary candidates to drop out of the race by Feb. 26, 2024, if they have no chance of winning. Romney said if a large group stays in the race for too long they will split the non-Trump vote and hand the former president the victory.
“Despite Donald Trump’s apparent inevitability, a baker’s dozen Republicans are hoping to become the party’s 2024 nominee for president. That is possible for any of them if the field narrows to a two-person race before Mr. Trump has the nomination sewn up,” Romney wrote.
To narrow the field, Romney wrote that Republican donors should ask their candidate to agree to drop out if they have no viable path to victory. He specifically called out megadonors.
“They have a responsibility to give their funds with clear eyes about their candidate’s prospects. Donors who are backing someone with a slim chance of winning should seek a commitment from the candidate to drop out and endorse the person with the best chance of defeating Mr. Trump by Feb. 26,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee wrote.
That date is right after the Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina nominating contests, one day before the Michigan primary and one week before Super Tuesday when 15 states hold their primaries.
