State's Top Republican Hopes To 'Draft Mitt' For 2016

A group of Republicans is looking to "draft" former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for the 2016 race.

Utah State Republican Party Chairman James Evans told the Deseret News the story behind an unattended booth set up at the state's GOP convention featuring signs that said "Draft Mitt," which is tied to the website http://draftmitt.org/.

"The question has to be answered: What's changed? And what we predict is those who didn't vote for Mitt Romney that allowed Barack Obama to be re-elected have seen enough that they have buyer's remorse," Evans said.

Romney has repeatedly said he's not running in 2016.

“Oh, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no," Romney told the New York Times in January. "People are always gracious and say, ‘Oh, you should run again.’ I’m not running again."

Evans said the group thinks of those comments "as just his first offer."

"We have to respond back with evidence to show why the 'no' is a position that needs to change," Evans said.

Evans did not say who outside of Utah is involved in the group, which does not yet have an official name. He said a public launch of the group is coming and will likely be made in South Carolina, the Deseret News reports.

"It wasn't designed to be staffed. It was designed to promote the idea," Evans said of the group, to which Romney has no ties.

Read more on the effort to "draft" Romney at the Deseret News.