Mitt Romney has been forced into a Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah as he looks to restart his political career by replacing long-serving Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Romney already has collected enough signatures to advance to a GOP primary. But if he had won the vote of party delegates Saturday, he would have bypassed a primary altogether.

Instead, he was edged out by state lawmaker Mike Kennedy, and voters will decide between the two in a June 26 primary.

The loss is a stumble for Romney. He went up against 11 other candidates, mostly political newcomers who questioned Romney's criticism of President Donald Trump and the depth of his ties to Utah

Romney remains the heavy favorite overall to win the Senate seat in November.