Retiring Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney on Wednesday pushed his fellow senators to work across the aisle and pursue unity in his final speech on the Senate floor.

Romney announced last year that he was not seeking reelection, citing his age and a desire for a "new generation" of leaders to take his place. Incoming Utah Sen. John Curtis, also a Republican, was elected in November to take his place. 

The senator, who also won the Republican nomination for president in 2012 but lost to former President Barack Obama, touted his decades-long career in public service during his floor speech, and claimed that his entire career was a "group affair."

“I will leave this chamber with a sense of achievement," Romney said on the Senate floor. "But in truth, I will also leave with the recognition that I did not achieve everything I had hoped. Among other things, the scourge of partisan politics has frustrated repeated efforts to stabilize our national debt."

The senator said that although partisan politics has sidelined several of his legislative endeavors, his biggest surprise was how much he enjoyed working with lawmakers on the other side of the aisle. He encouraged senators to continue the bipartisanship without him.

“I will very much miss you, my fellow senators, for among you are some brilliant, some entertaining, some kind and generous and all patriotic [people],” Romney said. “It is an honor to have been able to serve with you.”

Romney did not state what his plans for the future are, but said he wants to return to the electorate as a voice of unity. 

“I have learned that politics alone cannot measure up to the challenges we face,” Romney said. “A country’s character is a reflection not just of its elected officials but also of its people. I leave Washington to return to be one among them and hope to be a voice of unity and virtue."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Romney's speech and applauded his “long and honorable career on the national political stage.” 

“Mitt Romney’s repeated success in public office is a testament to his transcendent appeal of his character,” McConnell said. “As it turns out, uncompromising honesty, earnest humility and evident devotion to faith and family are as compelling in Cedar City as they are in Concord.”

Romney also served as the governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007. 

McConnell added that Romney's term in the Senate was not a "stepping stone" but a "capstone" of his life in public service, and that his term was not "about what he had left to prove, but what he had left to give.” 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.