Joe.My.God. LGBT News
ABC News reports:
Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin.
Democrats were swayed by calls from prominent members who said McMullin, a conservative who captured a significant share of the vote in Utah in 2016, was the best chance to beat Lee in the deeply conservative state that hasn’t elected a Democratic U.S. senator for more than 50 years.
“I want to represent you. I’m committed to that. I will maintain my independence,” McMullin told Democratic delegates.
The Deseret News reports:
The decision has big implications for Utah’s U.S. Senate race. It injects significant momentum into a more moderate, independent movement in Utah politics — and signals Utah Democrats are so eager to up the chances of beating Lee they’re willing to ditch their own candidate. At least for now.
During Saturday’s at times chaotic convention at Cottonwood High School in the Salt Lake County suburb of Murray, a faction of delegates put forth a motion to opt against choosing Kael Weston as the party’s Democratic U.S. Senate nominee and instead join McMullin’s coalition.
McMullin, a former Republican, ran an unsuccessful independent campaign for president against former President Donald Trump in 2016. Now he’s got Lee in his crosshairs.
Salt Lake City’s CBS News affiliate reports:
The plan to back McMullin received 57% of the votes at the party’s convention Saturday, compared to a plan to endorse Democrat Kael Weston, which received 43%.
Leaders at the convention, which took place at Cottonwood High School in Murray, said the McMullin plan garnered 782 votes, while Weston received 594 votes.
Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Lee overwhelmingly won the delegate vote at the Utah Republican Convention Saturday afternoon. He will face two other Republicans in the June primary.
Today Utah Democrats voted to join Evan McMullin’s independent coalition and NOT nominate a candidate for U.S. Senate. I’m proud to be part of this coalition. Together we can win this race and defeat Mike Lee. #utpol pic.twitter.com/NuI84mRqSa
— Ben McAdams (@BenMcAdams) April 23, 2022
BREAKING: Dems vote to back independent candidate Evan McMullin in his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Mike Lee this November. @KUTV2News pic.twitter.com/wkDKKuinOB
— Arielle Harrison (@ArielleHarrison) April 23, 2022