Democratic candidates vying for Republican Sen. Mike Lee’s Senate seat are headed to a primary, while Lee faced no opposition on his way to the general ballot.
At the Utah State Republican Party convention Mike Lee received the nomination by acclamation after his only challenger backed out of the race. In his acceptance speech, Lee thanked the delegates for their support.
“From time to time I have colleagues come up to me and say Mike, we can’t all represent Utah," Lee said. "They don’t always mean it is a compliment. I take it as such and I have you in mind when I take it as a compliment.”
Meanwhile the race at the Utah Democratic Party convention was a little more interesting. Candidates Jonathan Swinton and Misty Snow will be going to a primary after Swinton received only 55% of the votes after a second round of voting. He needed to get more than 60% to avoid the primary.
“I think I wasn’t able to get 60% because my opponent broke the rules and sent people up and down the line which wasn’t allowed," Swinton said. "I followed the rules and went in another room and they had people screaming and spewing lies about me to try and sway the vote and clearly it worked.”
But Snow denies she broke the rules and says Swinton is just mad that he has to go to a primary.
“I think he was taking for granted that he was going to get the nomination uncontested and I think when someone challenged him and challenged him hard, I don’t think he was expecting that," she said.
Democratic Party Chair Peter Corroon says he’s aware of the controversy and has asked Swinton to file an official complaint, but he also says he doesn’t think it will change anything.
