Utah Democrats back independent as US Senate candidate

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Democrats pulling hard to defeat Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the unusual step Saturday of spurning a party hopeful to instead get behind an independent, former presidential candidate Evan McMullin. Democrats were swayed by calls from prominent members who said McMullin was the best chance to beat Lee in the deeply conservative state that hasn’t elected a Democratic U.S. senator for more than 50 years. He is a conservative who captured a significant share of the vote in Utah in 2016. Lee is also facing two moderate GOP challengers.