Mitt Romney easily defeated Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson to clinch an open Utah Senate seat, positioning him to become the highest-profile freshman senator since Hillary Clinton’s successful New York bid in 2000 when her husband was still president.

With his more than 60 percent win, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee is poised to fill a power vacuum in the Senate GOP. The party has lost many of its most senior members and moderate voices through retirement, not to mention the death of John McCain. Purists from both parties have looked to Romney as one of the lone — if only — politicians with the clout and gravitas to become both a counterweight to President Donald Trump and a defender of the institution.

But the lack of a real challenge during Romney’s campaign has left questions about his willingness to take on the role of the Senate’s conscience.

He will still be a freshman senator, last in line to pick committee assignments, desk location and office space, and responsible for time-consuming duties like presiding over the chamber.

In the waning days of his campaign, he tried to take a middle line on signature Trump issues and his relationship with the president himself. He campaigned at a mosque, but said he was in favor of Trump’s travel restrictions.