Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the longest-serving Republican senator, announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection in 2018. The move opens the door to a likely run for the Utah seat by former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

“Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. And for me, that time is soon approaching," said the 83-year-old senator, who was first elected in 1976, in a video announcement. "That’s why after much prayer and discussion with family and friends, I’ve decided to retire at the end of this term.”

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The announcement caps months of speculation about Hatch’s political future. President Donald Trump tried aggressively to persuade the Hatch to seek another term, orchestrating a visit to Utah in which the president lavished praise on the senator and rode with him on Air Force One.

Trump’s move was aimed in no small part at keeping Romney out of the Senate. During the 2016 campaign, Romney emerged as a de facto leader of the “Never Trump” movement, calling then-candidate Trump a “fraud” and “phony” who was unfit to serve.

The two warmed to each other somewhat after the election, when Trump considered Romney to be his secretary of state. Yet the president and his closest advisers remain suspicious of the former Massachusetts governor. Romney has at times gone out of his way to criticize the new president, including for his response to white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia last year.

With Hatch out of the race, Romney will be the heavy favorite. The former Massachusetts governor, who is now residing in Utah, is widely popular in the state. He has spent the last few months huddling with key players in the state to discuss a prospective bid, including prominent businessman Kem Gardner and state House speaker Greg Hughes.