Evan McMullin
“Utah! People working together. Utah! What a great place to be.” The words to the Utah state song are true for so many people, and the ‘working together’ is a huge part of what makes it such ‘a great place to be.’ While I’ve only lived in Cache Valley for the last two years, I believe this rings even more true here in the valley than it does anywhere else. We live in polarizing times, with people feeling forced to choose one side of the political aisle. Often, it feels like people are creating aisles specifically with the purpose of staring angrily across at each other.
Black and white, left or right, vaccinated or unvaccinated, Democrat or Republican. It often feels like we can’t even speak across the aisle, much less step into or across it, but that is exactly what we need today. Politics, good governance requires cooperation.
Evan McMullin is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by 12-year incumbent Mike Lee. Evan is running as an independent. Historically, independent candidates have struggled, but now is the time to break that curve. In February, a new poll showed nearly two-thirds of Utahns are interested in voting for an independent candidate. There’s such a high level of division, that it will take somebody independent to help bridge that gap. By bucking the trend and electing an independent politician, Utah can lead the way into a new and brighter landscape for American politics.
McMullin’s campaign is based on eliminating the extremism that has tainted politics for so long. Many politicians make those promises, but very few take the necessary risks politically to do so. McMullin is proving his ability to take those risks by running independently and refusing to accept funding from any PACs or special interest groups that run the rest of the big players’ campaigns. Despite what would appear to be a distinct disadvantage in funding, McMullin managed to outraise Incumbent Mike Lee by almost $400,000 in the last part of 2021. Most of Evan McMullin’s donations poured in from individual donors in smaller amounts compared to thousands of dollars Mike Lee is receiving from Super PACs. These numbers show us that McMullin has what it takes and that he will not stand alone in Utah against Senator Mike Lee.
In running independently and building a coalition that defies party lines, McMullin is walking the walk rather than just talking the talk. He’s working on a true bipartisan coalition to show that he will be able to actually compromise in a way that will create results. Rather than locking in his opinions with those of one group or another, he is creating a balanced platform focused on helping people, and especially on helping Utah.
McMullin has five priorities: 1) strengthen our democracy and stand up to extremists, 2) lower health care costs, 3) reduce reckless government spending and inflation, 4) protect our air and water, and 5) Keep America safe and each priority has a detailed explanation on his website.
I truly believe that Evan McMullin has the support and platform to be a successful independent candidate and help Utah show the rest of the country the right path forward.
I look forward to seeing what happens when we embody the state anthem’s opening phrase “Utah, people working together.” In November, I’ll be voting for Evan McMullin for U.S. Senate. I hope you’ll join me.
– Greg Odell