Photograph Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Each day Beast/Getty
Republican Sen. Mike Lee secured a 3rd time period Tuesday after defeating impartial challenger Evan McMullin.
Lee’s re-election bid was probably the most uncommon of his profession thus far, with Utah Democrats scrapping their very own nominee for the race in favor of McMullin, giving voters solely these two choices.
By backing McMullin at their conference and foregoing a Democratic candidate, the race turned extra aggressive with polling exhibiting a persistently excessive variety of undecided voters. The hole between Lee and McMullin settled round 10 factors within the closing weeks, in keeping with FiveThirtyEight’s mannequin.
Lee delivered a robust debate efficiency in opposition to McMullin, however he struggled to handle his connection to the Jan. 6 riot and his texts with former White Home Chief of Workers Mark Meadows. Whereas Lee in the end voted to certify the election, he closely downplayed the textual content messages, which confirmed him engaged in an intensive effort simply days earlier than the riot to discover a means Trump may very well be declared the winner.
“If a really small handful of states have been to have their legislatures appoint various slates of delegates, there may very well be a path,” Lee informed Meadows on Dec. 8, 2020.
McMullin campaigned closely on saving democracy along with presenting himself as Utah’s personal model of a Kyrsten Sinema or Joe Manchin.
"If we prevail on this race, it would make Utah probably the most influential state within the union as a result of nothing will get by way of the Senate with out Utah’s help,” McMullin mentioned within the debate.
That received’t be taking place anytime quickly, and with McMullin falling brief even within the absence of a Democratic nominee, it’s unclear the place Utah Democrats will go from right here.