Mitt Romney's Niece Opts Out of Senate Race

Mitt Romney's niece, just like her father, has decided against launching a campaign to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan.

Ronna Romney McDaniel, a stay-at-home mother of two, said she discussed the possibility of running in 2014, and decided the time is not right for her to seek public office, The Detroit News reported Tuesday.

Romney McDaniel, like other members of the Romney family, is quite involved in politics, including actively campaigning for her uncle's presidential bid. Her father, Scott Romney — Mitt's brother — passed up a chance to run for Levin's seat, but encouraged his daughter to run.

Levin, a Democrat from Detroit, is Michigan's longest-serving senator and was first elected in 1978.

Had Romney McDaniel tried for Levin's seat, she would have joined a third generation of Romney women seeking election to the Senate. Her mother, Ronna Romney, ran in 1994 and 1996, and her grandmother, Lenore, ran in 1970. Neither succeeded.

Romney McDaniel said she knew from her mother's Senate bid that a campaign can take a toll on a family, and “it's no the right time to put my kids through something like that.” She noted her children, ages 8 and 10, did not want her to run for office.

GOP Reps. Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, and Justin Amash are both mulling a run for the Senate seat.