Utah Democrats at odds over decision to back McMullin after he loses - Axios Salt Lake CityLog InLog InAxios Salt Lake City is an Axios company.

Utah Democrats at odds over decision to back McMullin after he loses

Photo Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios. Photo: George Frey/Getty Images. Utah Democrats are at odds with each other over whether it was a smart bet to scrap their own candidate and support independent Evan McMullin in the U.S. Senate race against Republican Sen. Mike Lee.The Associated Press , who was defeating McMullin as of Wednesday afternoon. Why it matters: The risky move could reverberate across Democrats' party-building efforts as they try to turn Utah from a deep-red state to a purple one. Context: Utah's rapid population growth could eventually tip the scales in Democrats' favor, with transplants moving here from blue states in recent years. The state's top party operatives hoped that a centrist coalition around McMullin would engage swing voters against Lee, but for other Democrats on the ballot.But some in the Democratic base — including longtime volunteers — tell Axios the decision to back McMullin fractured the party, hampered down-ballot campaigns and left its most enthusiastic members feeling gut-punched. Catch up quick: Party delegates 57% to 43% in an April convention not to field Democrat Kael Weston — or any other Democrat — on the ballot to challenge Lee, instead throwing the party's support behind McMullin.Proponents of the move saw it as an opportunity to form a lasting with moderate Republicans and independents, and oust Lee — whose recently exposed , reported , showed support for former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Weston he could win if McMullin — a former Republican — and Lee split Utah's otherwise-insurmountable conservative vote. His supporters also warned that other Utah candidates would suffer with no Democrat at the top of the ticket to help campaign. What happened: Lee won Tuesday in what would be considered a blowout in other elections, but in Utah was the closest Senate election in recent memory. What they're saying: "This will be the closest race in 50 years, and it energized voters and a volunteer base like Utah has never seen. The boost to centrist candidates down ballot is undeniable. There is clearly a centrist lane for moderate Utahns to build on," former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams on Wednesday. McAdams helped orchestrate Democrats' strategy to cut Weston and coalesce behind McMullin.Weston's post-election didn't address the party's decision in April but urged Dems who didn't win — and their supporters — to "stay involved." Yes, but: Candidate recruiting, already difficult in a conservative state, will only become harder since Democrats abandoned Weston, Katie Adams-Anderton, chair of the Utah County Democrats, told Axios. On Tuesday, more than a third of the 90 open seats in the state legislature went to Republicans who ran unopposed."Now there always will be this looming thing of, 'Will we take a Democrat off the ballot?' That's a problem," Adams-Anderton said. The bottom line: Scrapping a Democrat for another candidate is "probably a one-time thing" for the Utah Democratic Party, spokesperson Ben Anderson told Axios.Still, the party is taking heart in McMullin's performance. "I think that shows that there is kind of a solid base of Utahns who are more moderate and willing to vote against an extremist Republican, and that kind of gives us a pathway for the future," Anderson said. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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