Murray • In an unusual move Saturday, Utah Democrats voted to support independent candidate Evan McMullin over Democrat Cale Weston to challenge the Republican primary winner later this year.
At the Democratic Convention in Utah at Cottonwood High School in Murray, McMullin received 782 of the delegate’s votes, almost 57%, against Weston’s 594 votes, according to preliminary results.
This is an unprecedented measure for Utah Democrats, who fought between party loyalty or outsider support to increase their chances of defeating a Republican in November. Democrats were motivated by the prospect of ousting Senator Mike Lee, who is running for a third term this year and won Republican support from about 75 percent of his party’s congressional delegates.
Lee still has to defeat candidates Ali Izom and Becky Edwards in his primary election in June to face McMullin in the general election.
“Democrats are putting the country before a party,” McMullin said after the vote. “This is our democracy and, yes, it can sometimes be confusing, as we saw today, but it is certainly much better than the alternative.
Weston said he accepted the outcome of the delegates’ decision and that it sparked an important dialogue.
“Of course, you want to be the candidate who comes out with a unanimous degree of support, but I knew it would always be an important conversation, and I think it was a real conversation with a great team and a lot of supporters who drove from all over the state.” said Weston. “Today was a crossroads and we took a certain path. This is a road that has never been traveled before. “
(Briana Skrogins | Special for The Tribune) U.S. Senate nominee Kael Weston speaks at the Utah Democrat Congress at Cottonwood High School in Murray on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
After a quiet morning at the presentation of the nominees for state competition, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, a Democrat, made a proposal to ask the party to “join Evan McMullin’s independent coalition to defeat Mike Lee.”
The next two hours were followed by clashes, debates and insults between Democrats.
Several delegates booed Wilson, followed by a shouting game that prompted Utah Democratic Convention Chairman Jeff Merchant to say he would not tolerate someone who spoke incorrectly. A delegate from the crowd, Rob Webley, shouted “Shame!” And “No spine!”
“We have to propose a Democrat,” said the Vernal resident.
“I understand that there are many people who have a lot of opinions on this,” Merchant said, asking delegates to share their views in front of the microphone.
After a few short pauses, Wilson amended his proposal to offer delegates an option; either nominate the undisputed Weston, or the party must join McMullin’s independent coalition. The Weston and McMullin campaigns endorsed the language.
Lee is hovering over the Democrats
In his introductory speech, Merchant told the crowded high school that he felt honored to be part of what “today will be both a historic and an exciting day.”
It has been more than half a century since a Democrat was elected U.S. senator to represent Utah. While several congressional booths focused on progressive issues such as women’s reproductive rights and improving air quality, a message stood out: Get Lee out of the office.
(Brianna Skrogins | Special for The Tribune) The Utah Democratic Convention, held at Cottonwood High School in Murray on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
A CNN report released last week, texts sent by Lee to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, shows that Lee has considered requests to cancel the results of the 2020 presidential election in favor of President Donald Trump. This is the latest controversy over Lee, which has angered Democrats in Utah.
Michelle Palmer, the party’s chairman in Morgan County, told The Salt Lake Tribune that Saturday’s vote on McMullin reflected the party’s moderate influence in rural areas.
“They look at it logically,” Palmer told Democrats like Wilson and former McCadams, who backed McMullin. “We all think Kael is a great candidate and a great person. But we are focused on winning over Mike Lee.
“I think Mike Lee really had the opportunity to change the course of history. I think he was wrong, “said Lee Brinton, 64, of Murray, who described himself as moderate. “There is a deep line of hypocrisy in the Republican Party.
Brinton, who said he was not a delegate, handed out home-made pamphlets at Saturday’s congress, explaining why he supported McMullin.
“Now, as the only way to get Mike Lee out, I ask you to support independent candidate Evan McMullin,” the brochure said.
(Brianna Skrogins | Special for The Tribune) Independent US Senator nominee Evan McMullin speaks with delegates during the Utah Democrat convention at Cottonwood High School in Murray on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
McMullin ran for president in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and garnered 21.5 percent of Utah’s vote.
Wayne removed from the ballot
Prior to the congress, Kerry Wayne, a candidate for vice president of the Democratic Party of Utah, was expelled from the ballot after an investigation revealed that he had participated in disobedience and harassing other members of the party.
According to a copy of the disciplinary report received by The Salt Lake Tribune, Wayne called an employee “Crazy Bipolar Psychopath (sic)” in an email. When Wayne was informed of the preliminary outcome of the investigation, the letter said Wayne also referred to disciplinary board chairman Jackie Orton with similar humiliation and attacked the manhood of Merchant, a former Democratic Party chairman.
Wayne denied the allegations on Saturday afternoon, calling the allegations “disappointing” and “alarming.” He added that he had appealed the report.
“This whole thing is basically a political hit,” he said.
(Briana Skrogins | Special for The Tribune) Jeff Merchant at the Democratic Convention in Utah.
Wayne is prohibited from serving as a Democratic delegate, holding or holding a party position, or winning a party nomination for any elected position indefinitely. He is also banned from attending party events.
Although he was removed from the list of candidates on the party’s congress website, his profile of candidates was still active on Saturday.
Tribune political reporter Brian Shot and political editor Jeff Parot contributed to this story.
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