Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney has often faced criticism from members of his own party. However, that hasn't stopped him from seeking another term in 2024. 

The Washington Examiner reported this week that Romney filed a "statement of candidacy" with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Romney's staff say he "will make a final decision in the coming months"

While the move will allow Romney to both raise money and spend campaign funds, the senator did not accompany it with an official declaration that he intends to run again.

Liz Johnson serves as Romney’s chief of staff, and she recently told the Examiner that he still has yet to make up his mind for certain.

"No new decision or announcement to share, and as the Senator has said, he will make a final decision in the coming months," Johnson was quoted as saying. "In the meantime, we’re ensuring he’s well prepared to run if he chooses."

The Examiner noted that those words echo what Romney himself told reporters when they asked about his plans in February.

Poll shows Romney is more popular among Democrats than Republicans

"I’ll make that assessment over the coming months, and sometime in the spring or summer, I’ll make that decision," Romney stated, adding, "I’m confident that I would win if I decide to run. I’ll have the resources, and I believe the people of Utah would be with me."

However, a poll published earlier this month by O.H. Predictive Insights suggests that Romney may be vulnerable to a primary challenge.

The survey found that he is actually more popular among Democrats than members of his on party, with 25% of Republicans regarding him "very" unfavorably and another 22% having a "somewhat" unfavorable opinion.

In contrast, only 8% of Democrats see the senator in "very" unfavorable terms while 31% have a "somewhat" unfavorable opinion.

Pollster: Romney "can barely muster a third of his own party’s support"

Meanwhile, just 36% of Republicans would like to see Romney pursue another term in office compared with 47% of Democrats who want him to run again.

Mike Noble is chief of research at O.H. Predictive Insights and he said that "Romney has seemed to age backward throughout his political career."

"Ten years ago, he was the nominee for President and the standard-bearer of the GOP; now, he can barely muster a third of his own party’s support for a re-election bid," Noble pointed out.

The survey was carried out from March 14 to March 23 among 600 Utah registered voters and its margin of error is plus or minus 4%.