Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Dig deep into Utah's local elections with KUER News. Check out KUER's voter information page for the how, when and where on voting in Utah, learn about the candidates in Utah's 6 major statewide races and follow this page for a steady stream of election coverage from KUER News. 00000174-456e-d547-ad77-67ef316e0000 Check out all of KUER's Statewide Election Profiles.

In Utah, Mike Pence Tries To Shore Up Republican Support

Julia Ritchey, KUER
Gov. Mike Pence campaigning in Salt Lake City on Oct. 26. His appearance, less than two weeks before the elections, comes amid flagging support among Utah Republicans.

With just two weeks left before election day, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence made another visit to Utah to shore up support among wavering Republicans. 

Gov. Mike Pence spoke to a fired up crowd of several hundred people in downtown Salt Lake City.

Although his barbs were aimed mostly on Hillary Clinton, Pence also spoke to Republicans who may be thinking of voting for a third party candidate.

“I want you to tell your Republican neighbors and friends this is not the time to make a statement, this our chance to make a difference,” he said.

Recent polls in Utah have shown independent candidate Evan McMullin, a Utah Mormon, tied with or even surpassing Hillary Clinton – a surprising turn of events in a deeply red state. Utah hasn’t supported a Democrat for president since 1964.

Although never mentioning McMullin by name, Pence said there is too much at stake in this election.

“I mean, men and women, I have to tell you from where I stand, this isn’t even so much a choice between left or right, or between Republican and Democrat," he said. "This is a choice, as Ronald Reagan said in 1964, between up and down." 

Trump supporters at the rally showed no sign of worry at McMullin’s late surge. Carolyn Payne from Bountiful says she doesn’t believe he poses any real threat.

“Trump’s going to win Utah,” she says. “There’s a lot of people that aren’t going to tell you their vote if you interview them. They’re scared of friends or neighbors saying, ‘Oh, you’re a Trump supporter.’ But believe me, there are Trump people out there.”

Gov. Gary Herbert and Rep. Jason Chaffetz are among the state’s leaders who have rescinded their endorsement of Trump this month.     

This is Pence’s second visit to Salt Lake City – he attended a business summit last month. The Indiana governor closed his rally by asking the crowd to participate in early voting, already underway, and to “bring it home.”  

Julia joined KUER in 2016 after a year reporting at the NPR member station in Reno, Nev. During her stint, she covered battleground politics, school overcrowding, and any story that would take her to the crystal blue shores of Lake Tahoe. Her work earned her two regional Edward R. Murrow awards. Originally from the mountains of Western North Carolina, Julia graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2008 with a degree in journalism. She’s worked as both a print and radio reporter in several states and several countries — from the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Dakar, Senegal. Her curiosity about the American West led her to take a spontaneous, one-way road trip to the Great Basin, where she intends to continue preaching the gospel of community journalism, public radio and podcasting. In her spare time, you’ll find her hanging with her beagle Bodhi, taking pictures of her food and watching Patrick Swayze movies.
KUER is listener-supported public radio. Support this work by making a donation today.