2010 United States Senate election in Utah
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The 2010 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 2, 2010 along with other midterm elections throughout the United States. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bob Bennett was seeking re-election to a fourth term, but was eliminated in the GOP state convention. Republican Mike Lee, who won the Republican primary, won the open seat.
Process
The filing period for candidates began March 12, 2010 and ended March 19, 2010. Candidates who had not filed by that date cannot appear on the ballot in November. Eleven candidates filed with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.[1]
Both the Utah State Democratic Party and the Utah State Republican Party held statewide caucus meetings on March 23, 2010. Caucus meetings are grouped by legislative district and divided by precincts with each precinct electing delegates who attend their respective party's state nominating convention.
The Utah State Democratic and Republican Parties held their conventions on May 8, 2010. At the Republican convention, incumbent Senator Bob Bennett finished third in balloting among delegates and was eliminated from the race. Business owner Tim Bridgewater finished first and attorney Mike Lee finished second, but Bridgewater did not receive enough votes (he needed more than 60 percent) to avoid a primary election runoff against Lee.[2] At the Democratic convention, delegates nominated businessman Sam Granato, who received 77.5 percent of the vote.[3]
In the Republican primary election, held on June 22, 2010, Lee became the Republican nominee by winning 51 percent of the vote against Bridgewater's 49 percent.[4]
The general election was held on November 2, 2010. Lee won the election with 62 percent of the vote to Granato's 33 percent and 6 percent for Constitution Party candidate Scott Bradley.[5]
Republican nomination
Convention
Candidates
- On Ballot
- Bob Bennett, incumbent U.S. Senator[6]
- Tim Bridgewater, businessman and candidate for UT-02 in 2002 and 2004[7]
- David Chiu
- Merrill Cook, former U.S. Representative[8]
- Cherilyn Eagar, businesswoman[7]
- Leonard Fabiano
- Jeremy Friedbaum
- Mike Lee, attorney[9]
- Withdrew
- Mark Shurtleff State Attorney General[7]
Endorsements
The following are endorsements made before the convention
- Bennett
Notable Individuals and Organizations endorsing Bob Bennett
- U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah[10]
- Former U.S. Senator Jake Garn of Utah
- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Georgia[11]
- Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts [12]
- Lee
State/local level positions (State Senators, Governors, etc.)
- Former Governor Norm Bangerter of Utah
- Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
- State Senator Curt Bramble
- State Senator Allen Christensen
- State Senator Mark Madsen
- State Representative John Dougall
- State Representative Craig Frank
- State Representative Francis Gibson
- State Representative Kerry Gibson
- State Representative Todd Kiser
- State Representative Mike Morley
- State Representative Curt Oda
- State Representative Ken Sumsion
- Former State Representative John Swallow
- State Representative Ryan Wilcox
- State Representative Carl Wimmer
Federal politicians and Organizations
- Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas
- Former U.S. Congressman James V. Hansen of Utah
- U.S. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
- Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
- Editor of conservative weblog RedState Erick Erickson
- Prominent conservative author and talk show host Mark Levin
- FreedomWorks PAC
- Most of the 9/12 and Tea Party Groups of Utah
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Bob Bennett | Tim Bridgewater | Merrill Cook | Cherilyn Eagar | Mike Lee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Dixon | April 22–25, 2010 | 16% | 20% | 1% | 11% | 37% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 8, 2010 | 14% | 14% | 6% | 4% | 37% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Lee | 982 | 28.75 | |
| Republican | Tim Bridgewater | 917 | 26.84 | |
| Republican | Bob Bennett | 885 | 25.91 | |
| Republican | Cherilyn Eagar | 541 | 15.84 | |
| Republican | Merrill Cook | 49 | 1.43 | |
| Republican | Leonard Fabiano | 22 | 0.64 | |
| Republican | Jeremy Friedbaum | 16 | 0.47 | |
| Republican | David Chiu | 4 | 0.12 | |
| Total votes | 3,416 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Bridgewater | 1,274 | 37.42 | |
| Republican | Mike Lee | 1,225 | 35.99 | |
| Republican | Bob Bennett | 905 | 26.99 | |
| Total votes | 3,404 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Lee | 1,854 | 57.28 | |
| Republican | Tim Bridgewater | 1,383 | 42.72 | |
| Total votes | 3,237 | 100.00 | ||
Primary
Candidates
- Tim Bridgewater, businessman
- Mike Lee, attorney
Endorsements
- Bridgewater
Notable Individuals
- Incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Bennett
- Former Chairman of RNC Dick Richards
- State Senator Howard Stephenson
- State Senator Jerry Stevenson
- State Senator David Hinkins
- State Representative Greg Hughes
- State Representative Lorie Fowlke
- State Representative Julie Fisher
- State Representative Merlynn Newbold[16]
Utah Mayors[17]
- Clearfield: Don Wood
- Coalville: Duane Schmidt
- Draper: Darrel Smith
- Fruit Heights: Todd Stevenson
- Farmington: Scott Harbertson
- Harrisville: Richard Hendrix
- Kaysville: Steve Hiatt
- Pleasant Grove: Bruce Call
- Pleasant View: Doug Clifford
- Provo: John R. Curtis
- Riverdale: J. Bruce Burrows
- Roy: Joe Ritchie
- Sandy: Tom Dolan
- Saratoga Springs: Mia Love
- St. George: Daniel McArthur
- South Weber: M. Jeffery Monroe
- Taylorsville: Russ Wall
- West Jordan: Melissa Johnson
- Lee
Federal politicians and Organizations
- U.S. Senator Jim DeMint
- Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
- Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas
- Former U.S. Congressman James V. Hansen of Utah
- U.S. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
- Editor of conservative weblog RedState Erick Erickson
- Prominent conservative author and talk show host Mark Levin
- FreedomWorks PAC
- Republican Liberty Caucus
State/local politicians and organizations
- Former Governor Norm Bangerter of Utah
- Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
- State Senator Curt Bramble
- State Senator Allen Christensen
- State Senator Mark Madsen
- State Representative John Dougall
- State Representative Francis Gibson
- State Representative Kerry Gibson
- State Representative Craig Frank
- State Representative Ken Sumsion
- State Representative Todd Kiser
- State Representative Mike Morley
- State Representative Curt Oda
- State Representative Ryan Wilcox
- State Representative Carl Wimmer
- Former State Representative John Swallow
- Most of the 9/12 and Tea Party Groups of Utah
Polling
| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Tim Bridgewater | Mike Lee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deseret News/KSL-TV | June 12–17, 2010 | 42% | 33% |
| Wilson Research | June 10, 2010 | 30% | 39% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Lee | 98,512 | 51.2 | |
| Republican | Tim Bridgewater | 93,905 | 48.8 | |
| Total votes | 192,417 | 100 | ||
Democratic nomination
Candidates
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Granato | 77 | 77.5 | |
| Democratic | Christopher Stout | 23 | 22.5 | |
| Total votes | 100 | 100 | ||
General election
Candidates
- Scott Bradley (C), businessman
- Sam Granato (D), businessman
- Mike Lee (R), attorney
Campaign
Granato emphasized his opposition to nuclear weapon tests in neighboring Nevada. In addition, he criticized Lee for his support of raising the retirement age and for questioning the constitutionality of Social Security.[21]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report | Solid R[22] | October 31, 2010 |
| Rothenberg | Safe R[23] | October 28, 2010 |
| Swing State Project | Safe R[citation needed] | |
| RealClearPolitics | Safe R[24] | October 31, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe R[25] | October 28, 2010 |
| CQ Politics | Safe R[26] | October 31, 2010 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Sam Granato (D) | Mike Lee (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deseret News/KSL-TV | October 25–28, 2010 | 1,206 | ± 3.0% | 30% | 57% | 6% | 7% |
| Mason-Dixon | October 27, 2010 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 32% | 48% | 5% | 15% |
| Deseret News/KSL-TV | October 11–14, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 31% | 53% | 1% | 11% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 13, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 28% | 61% | 4% | 8% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 23, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 29% | 54% | 5% | 12% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 23, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 28% | 58% | 5% | 9% |
Fundraising
| Candidate (Party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash On Hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Lee (R) | $1,595,383 | $1,423,494 | $165,314 | $57,691 |
| Sam Granato (D) | $250,607 | $219,776 | $30,831 | $15,000 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[27] | ||||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Lee | 390,179 | 61.56% | −7.18% | |
| Democratic | Sam Granato | 207,685 | 32.77% | +4.37% | |
| Constitution | Scott Bradley | 35,937 | 5.67% | +3.78% | |
| Majority | 182,494 | 28.79% | |||
| Total votes | 633,801 | 100 | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
References
- ^ Untitled Document
- ^ Gehrke, Robert. "Bennett out; GOP delegates reject 18-year Senate veteran - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
- ^ Loomis, Brandon. "Matheson forced into runoff election - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
- ^ Gehrke, Robert (2010-06-23). "Lee clinches GOP Senate nomination - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- ^ Utah Election Results
- ^ Bernick, Jr., Bob (2008-12-06). "Bennett is gearing up for another Senate bid". Deseret News. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
- ^ a b c "ksl.com".
- ^ Steinhauser, Paul; Hamby, Peter (February 25, 2010). "Bennett gets another primary challenger". CNN. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
- ^ Davidson, Lee (2010-01-05). "Mike Lee enters Senate race against Bennett — with Shurtleff endorsement". Deseret News. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
- ^ "Hatch endorses Bennett's re-election". ksl.com. 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
- ^ Robert GehrkeThe Salt Lake Tribune (2010-02-03). "Gingrich endorses Bennett re-election bid - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
- ^ "Romney endorses Bob Bennett in 2010 Senate race". Heraldextra.com. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
- ^ Senate Race: 1st Round Results Accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ Senate Race: 2nd Round Results Accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ Senate Race: 3rd Round Results Accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ "Tim Bridgewater Receives Key Legislative Endorsements | Bridgewater for Senate". Timbridgewater.com. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
- ^ "Bridgewater Announces Endorsements by Municipal Leaders | Bridgewater for Senate". Timbridgewater.com. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
- ^ Utah Election Results Archived June 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sam Granato for U.S. Senate".
- ^ "Another Democratic Challenger to Bennett".
- ^ Senate candidates take stands on Social Security reform
- ^ "Senate". Cook Political Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Senate Ratings". Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
- ^ "Battle for the Senate". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
- ^ "2010 Senate Ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
- ^ "Race Ratings Chart: Senate". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "2010 House and Senate Campaign Finance for Utah". fec.gov. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
- ^ http://elections.utah.gov/electionresults.html
External links
- Utah Government Services - Elections
- U.S. Congress candidates for Utah at Project Vote Smart
- Utah U.S. Senate 2010 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from Open Secrets
- Election 2010: Utah Senate from Rasmussen Reports
- Utah Senate - Lee vs. Granato from Real Clear Politics
- 2010 Utah Senate Race from CQ Politics
- Race profile from The New York Times
- Debates
- Utah Senate Republican Primary Debate, C-SPAN, June 2, 2010
- Utah Senate Debate, C-SPAN, September 16, 2010
- Official campaign sites