Democratic Party delegates took the unprecedented step today of forgoing nomination of their own candidate in favor of endorsing Evan McMullin for US Senate. "We applaud the courage and wisdom of the Democratic Party in setting aside party loyalty and putting the needs of Utah first," said Hillary Stirling, United Utah Party Chair.

Current Utah Senator Mike Lee has come under recent fire for his support of the plan to overturn the results of the 2016 election by appointing alternate electors from several states to vote contrary to their states' certified tallies. "The Evan McMullin coalition is ultimately about accountability. Our Constitution gives US Senators the responsibility to be a check and balance on the presidency, and Sen. Lee failed to fulfill that responsibility. Utah and the entire nation deserve a U.S. Senator who prioritizes Constitutional duty above party loyalty."

"In order to win elections in our current voting system, voters need to get behind a single opposition candidate," said Stirling. "The UUP joined Evan's coalition because we recognize that he is best situated to beat Mike Lee, and we're pleased to be joined in this coalition by our fellow Utahns from the Democratic party." McMullin has raised approximately $1,800,000 for his campaign, vs $80,000 for Weston, and he has statewide name recognition because of his run for President of the United States in 2022.

Now that state conventions are done, McMullin's efforts to build his coalition will shift from delegates to voters.  "The fight to gather support for Evan's coalition doesn't end with today's vote. It is just beginning," said Stirling. "We invite voters from all parties to join with us, set aside partisan sentiments, and come together as Utahns to support a candidate who will truly represent us all.”