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Utah's Most Competitive U.S. Senate Race in Decades

Republican Sen. Mike Lee, left, and political independent challenger Evan McMullin.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee, left, and political independent challenger Evan McMullin.

It’s been nearly half a century since there was a legitimately competitive U.S. Senate race in the state of Utah. This year though, the contest between Sen. Mike Lee and independent candidate Evan McMullin is shaping to be the most interesting statewide race in generations.

With the state Democratic party choosing not to run a candidate opposing Lee, observers say McMullin’s path to victory is a tightrope walk. He has to court progressives and liberals while at the same time appealing to Republican voters, hoping to draw them away from the two-term incumbent. Recent polling shows a tightening race, and Lee’s supporters have responded with controversial attack ads. This Friday at 11 a.m., a panel of political experts will join us to breakdown the senate race and help us understand what’s motivating the Utah electorate in this uniquely intriguing midterm election.

GUESTS

  • Sean Higgins, KUER politics reporter and co-host of "State Street"|@higginsreport
  • Dr. David Magleby, professor emeritus of political science at Brigham Young University and formerly the dean of BYU’s College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences
  • Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune columnist | @RobertGehrke
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