The Briefing Room
State Chapters => State Politics/Government => Topic started by: libertybele on April 25, 2022, 12:46:57 am
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Utah Democrats throw support behind independent Evan McMullin to take on Mike Lee
The Utah Democratic Party on Saturday threw its support behind the independent candidacy of former presidential contender Evan McMullin to take on GOP Sen. Mike Lee.
The decision to get behind McMullin could help bolster his Senate bid at a time when Lee is on the defensive over newly revealed text messages showing he communicated for weeks with then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about the effort to overturn the 2020 election.
Party delegates voted 57% to 43% Saturday at their convention in Murray, Utah, to not nominate a candidate of their own. Former State Department official Kael Weston had been seeking the Democratic endorsement for US Senate.
"Today Utah Democrats voted to join Evan McMullin's cross-partisan coalition and not to nominate a candidate into the 2022 midterm US Senate race," McMullin's campaign said in a statement Saturday. "This marks the first time in Utah's history that the Democratic Party has not put forward a candidate for a statewide race choosing instead to put country over party."
Weston said he respected the decision. "Let's all help get other Democrats elected this year. And let's all help defeat Mike Lee -- the sooner the better," he said on Twitter.
Lee, who is seeking a third term in November, remains the favorite in deep-red Utah, which backed then-President Donald Trump by over 20 points in 2020. Democrats have not won a US Senate election in Utah since 1970...............
https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/24/politics/utah-democrats-evan-mcmullin-mike-lee/index.html