Utah Sen. Mike Lee braces for toughest reelection fight yet

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican Sen. Mike Lee has avoided serious challenge in deeply conservative Utah in the dozen years since he came to power in a tea party wave. But that’s changing this year as he faces two GOP challengers and a newly empowered independent. Text messages showing Lee promoting legally dubious schemes to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election before changing his mind dropped days before core Utah Democrats made the unprecedented decision to spurn their own candidate and instead endorse independent Evan McMullin for a chance to unseat Lee. The senator still has a solid base of support in Utah, but the challenges on multiple fronts complicate his path to reelection.