As a longtime political reporter, I have two strong memories of personal interaction with Mitt Romney: The first was at an off-the-record barbecue he, his family, and his staff held for about 30 journalists in 2007 at his lake home in New Hampshire. 

Mr. Romney, fresh off a term as governor of Massachusetts, was a top contender for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. The gathering was a chance to see the Romneys in action – including a Kennedy-esque scene of his sons playing touch football, his grandchildren frolicking, and Mr. Romney himself, along with his wife, Ann, graciously chatting with the reporters covering them. We paid for our own meals. 

A month later, I interviewed Mr. Romney in Ottumwa, Iowa, about his deep faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My profile of Mr. Romney delved into the paradox of a man who lived an upright life but had to play down his faith, given some Americans’ discomfort with church teachings. 

I was struck by his at-times awkward style, which I suspected could make it hard to connect with voters. I also imagined a man who might approach the presidency the way he did his time as a local church bishop: “a very weighty responsibility, which you take with a great deal of care and sobriety,” he said.

Now-Senator Romney from Utah has begun his farewell to elective office, after announcing Wednesday that he would not run again. Time for younger leadership, he said.

Mr. Romney’s decision also reflects the deep divisions within the GOP, as explained in today’s lead article. He was the only Republican senator who voted to convict then-President Donald Trump in 2020, after Mr. Trump’s first impeachment. 

But on Wednesday, Mr. Romney suggested he’s not leaving public discourse altogether: “I’m not retiring from the fight.”