Utah GOP Convention Goes To Second Ballot — Hatch Just Short Of 60 Percent

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The Utah Republican convention is going to a second ballot, to determine whether six-term Sen. Orrin Hatch will be renominated outright today, or if he will face a primary in June against former state Sen. Liljenquist.

Out of over 3,900 delegates in attendance on Saturday, Hatch received 57.2 percent of the vote on the first ballot, the state GOP announced, to Liljenquist’s 28.8 percent. All seven other candidates have been eliminated — even if their supporters combined together, they would not be able to overtake Liljenquist.

Hatch and Liljenquist will now compete again on a second ballot, in a one-on-one match. The level of support needed to win outright is 60 percent of the vote, at which point there would not be a primary.

At the state GOP convention two years ago, incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett came in third place, and was eliminated without the chance to compete in a primary.

Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: