Conservative Mike Lee Wins Utah GOP Senate Primary With Tea Party Help
Tom Diemer
Correspondent
Posted:
06/23/10
Conservative lawyer Mike Lee won the Utah Republican Primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, capitalizing on anti-incumbent sentiment and support from the Tea Party movement. The contest will determine who will succeed three-term Sen. Robert Bennett, who was ousted at a GOP state convention last month.
Lee, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, defeated businessman Tim Bridgewater, who also campaigned as a conservative and also had some backing from the Tea Party folks in Utah, the Associated Press reported. Both candidates ran to Bennett's right, railing against federal spending in Washington.
Lee, 38, is lawyered up -- to say the least. He is the son of Rex Lee, solicitor general under President Reagan and the former dean of the Brigham Young University law school. Mike's brother, Tom Lee, has been nominated to the Utah Supreme Court.
Lee says he wants to cut spending, repeal the new health care law and impose term limits on lawmakers. He will face Democratic nominee Sam Granato in November.
Lee, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, defeated businessman Tim Bridgewater, who also campaigned as a conservative and also had some backing from the Tea Party folks in Utah, the Associated Press reported. Both candidates ran to Bennett's right, railing against federal spending in Washington.
Lee, 38, is lawyered up -- to say the least. He is the son of Rex Lee, solicitor general under President Reagan and the former dean of the Brigham Young University law school. Mike's brother, Tom Lee, has been nominated to the Utah Supreme Court. Lee says he wants to cut spending, repeal the new health care law and impose term limits on lawmakers. He will face Democratic nominee Sam Granato in November.