Posted by
Lady Logician on Monday, June 30, 2008 7:04:10 PM
The biggest story in Utah today has to be the story of Rep. Chris Cannon's primary defeat by a first time challenger.
Jason Chaffetz's promise to change Washington, starting with Rep. Chris Cannon, resonated with Republican voters, who ousted the six-term incumbent in a GOP primary Tuesday.
"We rocked the vote here in Utah and we rocked the Republican Party," Chaffetz told about 175 supporters gathered to celebrate the victory. "I think we've been given a mandate to return the Republican Party to its core conservative principles."
With 99 percent of the votes counted, Chaffetz led Cannon by about 20 points. Chaffetz now advances to face Democrat Bennion Spencer in November. The seat strongly favors Republicans.
Emphasis mine. Twenty points is a serious drubbing for any race - especially when the one getting drubbed is the incumbent. It also flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that you just can't challenge an incumbent legislator, even if you feel that he or she is no longer representing the district - as the voters of Utah's 3rd Congressional District resoundingly said yesterday.
The Cannon/Chaffetz race featured many of the same frustrations that voters (especially Republican voters) across the country have felt. Frustrations over illegal immigration, out of control federal spending, energy policy and a broken Republican Party were the hallmarks of the Chaffetz campaign. It must be stressed that Jason Chaffetz is a political newbie (at least when it comes to running for office himself). He was Chief of Staff for Utah Governor Huntsman so he had the policy formation experience but this was his first ever run for office. This is important. The voters of the 3rd district sent the Republican Party a very loud message. Chaffetz' victory yesterday is a victory for every Republican who is dis-satisfied with the direction the Party is going. He over came big name endorsements (President Bush and Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett all endorsed incumbent Cannon) and a 7-1 spending deficit to win. He beat the Party establishment resoundingly.
Chaffetz's victory yesterday should send shock waves through the Republican Party establishment - not only in DC but in all the state parties (big hint to my friends back in Minnesota). The base is NOT HAPPY with you and the way you are doing business. You are not representing the people and the time has come to either get back on track (representing the Party's core principles) or go home.