Independent candidate in deep red Utah could stop Republicans from winning the Senate in midterms

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A once safe Senate race in Utah has grown increasingly competitive in the final weeks of the midterm election – giving Democrats fresh hope that a GOP takeover of Congress is not totally inevitable.

Independent Evan McMullin, a former CIA officer, is running against Republican Senator Mike Lee in the closest race the state has seen in years – with a new poll showing them less than five points apart.

It’s gained the attention of state Democrats, who opted to back him in the race rather than a member of their own party for a better chance of unseating Lee on November 8. 

Both candidates tout themselves as ‘conservatives’ but differ on key issues – among the most visible is Donald Trump.

Lee has Trump’s endorsement in the race and has closely aligned himself with the former president, still the de facto leader of the GOP. He was also found to have entertained scenarios for overturning the 2020 election results, as evidenced by text messages with then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows – though Lee ultimately did not vote to change the final count.

McMullin, on the other hand, made his opposition to Trump clear early. He first leapt onto the national stage as a 2016 presidential candidate offering an alternative to Trump and Hillary Clinton.

His campaign has largely run as a rebuke of extremism on both sides, with the former CIA officer having been inspired to run after the violent events of January 6 last year.

Evan McMullin is a former CIA officer who is running for US Senate in Utah as an Independent, though he still bills himself as a conservative despite not aligning with either party

Evan McMullin is a former CIA officer who is running for US Senate in Utah as an Independent, though he still bills himself as a conservative despite not aligning with either party

He's up against pro-Trump Utah GOP Senator Mike Lee, who was considered a safe candidate until McMullin's campaign gained steam

He’s up against pro-Trump Utah GOP Senator Mike Lee, who was considered a safe candidate until McMullin’s campaign gained steam

He’s now relying on a coalition of Democrats, disenchanted Republicans and Independents to push him over the finish line in November.

Their only debate of the election cycle is due to take place on Monday night. 

A McMullin win could have an outsized impact on the makeup of the US Senate – but would not necessarily guarantee Democratic control.

In a divided chamber, McMullin could cast the deciding vote for who controls the Senate between current Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell.

McMullin has said previously that he does not believe McConnell should be a Senate leader. 

But he’s vowed to remain neutral in Congress, not to join forces with Democrats or Republicans in an apparent bid to not isolate conservative voters across the political spectrum.

‘I will maintain my independence. I will not caucus with either side,’ he told NBC News’ Meet The Press on Sunday. 

A recent poll shows Lee with just a four-point lead ahead of McMullin with just three weeks until the midterm elections

A recent poll shows Lee with just a four-point lead ahead of McMullin with just three weeks until the midterm elections

McMullin declined to say whether he’d allow a scenario in which his not voting in the race for speaker would still, in effect, allow McConnell to control the Senate.

‘Well, look, the parties are going to decide who they choose to lead them. I won’t be part of that as an Independent,’ McMullin said.

‘The parties in Washington and others, they’re going to have to figure out what this means for them on their own. I’m committed to maintaining my independence.’

The recent poll by Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics found that 41 percent of Utah voters would vote for Lee, while Evan trails not far behind with 37 percent support.

Eight percent said they’d pick other candidates, while a potentially decisive 12 percent share have not yet decided.

In a sign of the tightening race, Lee took to the airwaves last week where he made a public plea to his fellow Utah Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, for support. 

‘I don’t think Mitt Romney wants Chuck Schumer to continue to be the Senate Majority Leader. If I’m right on that, then he needs to get on board,’ Lee told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.

‘As soon as Mitt Romney is ready to, I will eagerly accept his endorsement.’  

He also bashed McMullin as a ‘closeted Democrat,’ a comparison that has been Lee’s main attack point against the ex-CIA official. 

Romney, one of Trump’s few vocal Republican critics in Congress, has vowed to remain neutral in the race.

Trump attacked Romney over his hesitance to support Lee in a post on Truth Social last week.

‘Mike Lee is an outstanding Senator who has been abused, in an unprecedented way, by a fellow Republican Senator from his own State, something which rarely has happened in political History,’ Trump fumed.

‘Such an event would only be understandable if Mike did not perform his duties as a United States Senator, but he has, and he has performed them well.’ 

During the course of the House select committee on January 6’s investigation, it was revealed that Lee had entertained and even discussed legal avenues to overturn President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

Lee never acted on those theories, which he appeared to have distanced himself from after finding they were legally baseless. 



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