U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch says he intends to run for re-election in 2018 but that his wife’s trepidation is giving him pause.

The 83-year-old Hatch said yesterday he suspects he'll need to decide before the end of the year, but said he's not putting any hard timeline on it. Hatch said his wife is "not real enthusiastic" about him running for election in 2018. But, he says he wants to continue his important work as chairman of the finance committee. Hatch has been in office since 1977. Hatch spoke with reporters after taking a tour of the new Utah state crime lab with former kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart and talking about a proposal to speed up DNA testing.