Romney, who was also considered a prime candidate as a running mate for the U.S. senator from Arizona, also told Utah delegates to the Republican National Convention, meeting Monday at a Bloomington, Minn., hotel, that he would not stage another presidential run, the Deseret Morning News reported.

The former governor of Massachusetts cited his family and religious ties to Utah and thanked state residents for their strong support of him in Utah's GOP presidential primary election, where he received 90 percent of the vote.

"There is one … thing I love about the great state of Utah and that is that it is a dark, dark red. Your rocks are red and you vote red," Romney said.

The News (NYSE:WS-A) also said that Romney made it clear he wants his delegates to cast their votes at the convention for McCain.