Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

United States Senate election in Utah (June 26, 2018 Republican primary)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search


2022 →
← 2016
U.S. Senate, Utah
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 15, 2018
Primary: June 26, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent:
Orrin Hatch (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Utah
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
U.S. Senate, Utah
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th
Utah elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney defeated state Rep. Mike Kennedy (R) in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat from Utah.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R), who announced in January 2018 that he would not run for re-election after 42 years in office, said in March 2017 that Romney would be perfect to replace him. Romney also received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in February 2018. Romney opposed Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and Politico had reported in December 2017 that Trump wanted Hatch to run for re-election.[1][2][3]

Kennedy was first elected to the Utah House in 2012. He also worked as a doctor and lawyer.[4] Kennedy was backed by retired Four Star General Robert C. Oaks and state Rep. Cory Maloy (R).

The primary was held on June 26, 2018, and the general was held on November 6, 2018. For an overview of the general election, click here.



Utah voter? Here's what you need to know.
Primary electionJune 26, 2018
Candidate filing deadlineMarch 15, 2018
Registration deadlineJune 19, 2018
Absentee application deadlineJune 21, 2018
General electionNovember 6, 2018
Voting information
Primary typeSemi-closed
Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day.


For more on related elections, please see:



Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

Mitt Romney defeated Mike Kennedy in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Utah on June 26, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Utah

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
 
71.3
 
240,021
Image of Mike Kennedy
Mike Kennedy
 
28.7
 
96,771

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 336,792
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.


Candidate profiles

Mike Kennedy

Mike Kennedy.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter
Kennedy was first elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2012. His professional experience includes working as a physician and an attorney.

Kennedy earned his M.D. from Michigan State University. He earned his J.D. and bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University.[11]

Kennedy's website highlighted boosting the economy, cutting federal spending, and pro-life issues as campaign priorities.[12]


Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney.png

Campaign website Facebook Twitter
Romney served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He was also the 2012 Republican nominee for President of the United States.

Romney began his career working for management consulting firm Bain & Company, going on to found investment firm Bain Capital in 1984. In 1999 he served as President of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, overseeing the 2002 Winter Olympics. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and his B.A. from Brigham Young University.[13]

Endorsements

Mike Kennedy

Federal figures

  • Robert C. Oaks, Retired 4 Star General, United States Air Force[14]

State officials

Mitt Romney

Federal officials

State officials

Debates

Mitt Romney and Mike Kennedy participated in an hour-long debate on May 29, 2018.[23] Click here to watch the full event.[24]

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
United States Senate election in Utah, Republican primary
Poll Mitt Romney Mike KennedyOther candidateUndecidedMargin of ErrorSample Size
Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute of Politics
June 11-18, 2018		 65%23%4%8%+/-5.2356
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org
United States Senate election in Utah, Republican primary
Poll Mitt Romney Mike KennedyDon't knowMargin of ErrorSample Size
Dan Jones & Associates
May 15-25, 2018		 67%24%9%+/-5.7295
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org
United States Senate election in Utah, Republican primary
Poll Mitt Romney, Republican Don't knowJenny Wilson, DemocratCraig Bowden, LibertarianDan McCay, RepublicanOtherMitchell Vice, DemocratLarry Meyers, RepublicanJay Hyatt, RepublicanAlicia Colvin, RepublicanMargin of ErrorSample Size
Dan Jones & Associates
February 9-16, 2018		 60%14%14%3%2%2%1%1%1%1%+/-4.0609
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign contributions

The table below details the campaign finance reports by Kennedy and Romney as of April 1, 2018.[25]


Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Mike Kennedy Republican Party $752,499 $752,499 $0 As of December 31, 2018
Mitt Romney Republican Party $5,552,040 $5,294,219 $257,822 As of December 31, 2018

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.


Campaign tactics and strategies

Campaign advertisements

Mike Kennedy

"Get the Job Done" released April 18, 2018
"Pick Up the Can" released April 11, 2018

Path to the ballot

Neither Romney nor Kennedy won the state Republican Party's nomination at the April 21 convention. Both fell short of the 60 percent needed to win the nomination outright; Kennedy received 50.88 percent of the vote and Romney received 49.12 percent.[4]

Candidates could either compete for delegate votes at their party's convention or gather 27,000 signatures to get on the primary ballot. Romney chose to do both. CNN's Maeve Reston wrote that some of the delegates resented "the fact that Romney collected signatures, a process they feel favors deep-pocketed candidates over lesser-known contenders."[4]

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Utah, 2018
Race tracker Race ratings
October 30, 2018 October 23, 2018October 16, 2018October 9, 2018
The Cook Political Report Solid Republican Solid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales Solid Republican Solid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball Safe Republican Safe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Trump involvement

On December 3, 2017, Politico reported that President Donald Trump (R) was attempting to persuade Sen. Hatch to seek re-election in 2018. The Politico report cited different reasons for Trump's involvement. Trump aides claimed he wanted Hatch to remain because of his positive personal relationship with the senator. Hatch supported Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign after comments Trump made about grabbing women in a 2005 Access Hollywood video were made public. He also chaired the Senate Finance Committee in late 2017 when a tax bill supported by Trump was passing through.

The report also cited claims from allies of Mitt Romney, including former Romney campaign official Kirk Jowers, who said that Trump supported Hatch's re-election because he wanted to prevent Romney from winning a Senate seat. Romney opposed Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign. After Trump became president, Romney criticized his foreign policy and his response to civil disorder in Charlottesville, Virginia, related to a local government proposal to remove a statue of General Robert E. Lee from a city park.[26]

On December 4, Trump visited Utah to announce that he was reducing the size of two national monuments in the state. When asked by a reporter, Trump said that he wanted Hatch to run for re-election. Trump appeared alongside Hatch at the Utah state capitol when signing the order to reduce the monuments. In his remarks at the capitol, Trump said, "You are a true fighter, Orrin, I have to say...We hope you will continue to serve your state and the country and the Senate for a very long time to come."[27]

On February 19, 2018, after Hatch announced he would not seek re-election and Romney announced his bid, Trump endorsed Romney. Trump said on Twitter, "He will make a great Senator and worthy successor to @OrrinHatch, and has my full support and endorsement!”[28]

Timeline

  • June 26, 2018: Primary Election Day-Romney wins the nomination
  • June 21, 2018: Absentee ballot application deadline
  • June 19, 2018: Online voter registration deadline
  • May 29, 2018: Romney and Kennedy participate in a candidate debate
  • May 29, 2018: Mail-in voter registration deadline
  • April 21, 2018: Utah State Republican Party Convention
  • March 15, 2018: Candidate filing deadline
  • February 19, 2018: President Donald Trump endorses Romney
  • February 16, 2018: Romney files for the Senate race
  • January 2, 2018: Hatch announces retirement

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Utah heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

Trifecta status

2018 elections

See also: Utah elections, 2018

Utah held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Utah
 UtahU.S.
Total population:2,990,632316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):82,1703,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:87.6%73.6%
Black/African American:1.1%12.6%
Asian:2.2%5.1%
Native American:1.1%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.9%0.2%
Two or more:2.6%3%
Hispanic/Latino:13.4%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91.2%86.7%
College graduation rate:31.1%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$60,727$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.7%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Utah.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Utah had a population of approximately 3,100,000 people, with its three largest cities being Salt Lake City (pop. est. 190,000), West Valley City (pop. est. 140,000), and Provo (pop. est. 120,000).[29][30]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Utah from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Lieutenant Governor of Utah.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Utah every four years from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Utah 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 45.5% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 27.5% 18.0%
2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 72.6% Democratic Party Barack Obama 24.7% 47.9%
2008 Republican Party John McCain 62.2% Democratic Party Barack Obama 34.2% 28.0%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 71.5% Democratic Party John Kerry 26.0% 45.5%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 66.8% Democratic Party Al Gore 26.3% 40.5%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Utah from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Utah 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Mike Lee 68.2% Democratic Party Misty Snow 27.1% 41.1%
2012 Republican Party Orrin Hatch 65.2% Democratic Party Scott Howell 30.2% 35.0%
2010 Republican Party Mike Lee 61.6% Democratic Party Sam Granato 32.8% 28.8%
2006 Republican Party Orrin Hatch 62.5% Democratic Party Pete Ashdown 31.1% 31.4%
2004 Republican Party Bob Bennett 68.7% Democratic Party Paul Van Dam 28.4% 40.3%
2000 Republican Party Orrin Hatch 65.6% Democratic Party Scott Howell 31.5% 34.1%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the six gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Utah. Included in the table are the results of the 2010 special election called to fill the seat of former Gov. Jon Huntsman (R), who had resigned to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China.

Election results (Governor), Utah 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Republican Party Gary Herbert 66.7% Democratic Party Mike Weinholtz 28.7% 38.0%
2012 Republican Party Gary Herbert 68.4% Democratic Party Peter Cooke 27.7% 40.7%
2010 Republican Party Gary Herbert 64.1% Democratic Party Peter Corroon 31.9% 32.2%
2008 Republican Party Jon Huntsman 77.6% Democratic Party Bob Springmeyer 19.7% 57.9%
2004 Republican Party Jon Huntsman 57.7% Democratic Party Scott Matheson 41.4% 16.3%
2000 Republican Party Mike Leavitt 55.8% Democratic Party Bill Orton 42.7% 13.1%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Utah in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Utah 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 4 100% Democratic Party 0 0% R+4
2014 Republican Party 4 100% Democratic Party 0 0% R+4
2012 Republican Party 3 75% Democratic Party 1 25% R+2
2010 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
2008 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
2006 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
2004 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
2002 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1
2000 Republican Party 2 66.7% Democratic Party 1 33.3% R+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Utah Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Thirty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ WMTV, "UPDATE: White House says President Trump is sad Hatch is retiring," Updated January 2, 2018
  2. ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Hatch would consider stepping aside for Mitt Romney," March 30, 2017
  3. ↑ Politico, "Trump endorses Romney for Utah Senate seat," February 19, 2018
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 CNN, "Mitt Romney fails to secure Utah GOP nomination, will face primary," April 22, 2018
  5. ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Mitt Romney again faces a Kennedy in a U.S. Senate race," Updated March 16, 2018
  6. ↑ Bloomberg, "Mitt Romney Running for U.S. Senate in Utah to Replace Hatch," February 16, 2018
  7. ↑ NBC 15, "Utah GOP Senator Orrin Hatch announces plans to retire," January 2, 2018
  8. ↑ Utah Elections, "2018 Candidate Filings," accessed March 21, 2018
  9. ↑ Meyers for Senate, "Home," accessed February 19, 2018
  10. ↑ Twitter, "Vote Utah," accessed June 19, 2018
  11. ↑ Mike Kennedy 2018 campaign website, "Meet Mike," accessed April 23, 2018
  12. ↑ Mike Kennedy 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed April 23, 2018
  13. ↑ Mitt Romney 2018 campaign website, "About Mitt," accessed March 27, 2018
  14. ↑ Twitter, "Dr. Mike Kennedy on Twitter," May 24, 2018
  15. ↑ Cory Maloy website, "Rep. Cory Maloy endorses Dr. Mike Kennedy as US Senator from Utah," June 6, 2018
  16. ↑ Fortune, "President Trump Endorses Mitt Romney in Utah Senate Race, Embracing a Long-Time Critic," February 20, 2018
  17. ↑ NBC News, "Dateline," accessed April 23, 2018
  18. ↑ Twitter, "Lindsey Graham on Twitter," February 16, 2018
  19. ↑ Twitter, "John McCain on Twitter," February 16, 2018
  20. ↑ Twitter, "Paul Ryan on Twitter," February 16, 2018
  21. ↑ The Hill, "Jeb Bush backs Romney for Utah Senate run," January 15, 2018
  22. ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Utah Gov. Herbert says Romney should run for the Senate," Updated January 11, 2018
  23. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named debate
  24. ↑ Good4Utah.com, "VIDEO: Utah Debate Commission hosts 3 primary election debates," May 29, 2018
  25. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidates for Senate," accessed April 23, 2018
  26. ↑ Politico, "Trump moves to block Romney from the Senate," December 3, 2017
  27. ↑ Politico, "Trump says he wants Hatch to seek 8th Senate term," December 4, 2017
  28. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named endorse
  29. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Utah," accessed January 15, 2018
  30. ↑ Utah Demographics, "Utah Cities by Population," accessed January 15, 2018


Utah's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John Curtis (R)
Mike Lee (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Republican Party (6)


v • e
2017-2018 Elections to the United States Congress
Senate by StateCongressLogo.png
House by State
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Election information
Super PACs/Organizations
Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=United_States_Senate_election_in_Utah_(June_26,_2018_Republican_primary)&oldid=10217918"