The Senate’s most senior Republican — Utah’s Orrin Hatch — is seriously considering a run for an eighth term, a move that would reverse his 2012 declaration that he would retire at the end of his current term.

Hatch is mulling a run for an eighth term in the 2018 midterms, according to Republicans in Washington and Utah, though he has made no final decision and will likely wait until the current election is over to do so. And if he were to run again, he could draw a primary challenge from Republicans that have been itching to run for a statewide seat since Hatch first announced his retirement plans.

“I don’t think he’s made a decision. I don’t think that will happen until after the election. He should wait and see if he wins the majority,” said one top Utah GOP consultant operative on Tuesday. “He is legitimately thinking about it but I think one reason to stay on the fence for as long as possible is you maintain relevance and legitimacy.”