Deseret News - Signature Gathering Lands Sen. Mike Lee Spot on GOP Primary Ballot

News Article

By Dennis Romboy

Sen. Mike Lee will be on the Republican primary election ballot this year no matter what happens at the GOP state convention.

The first-term senator's campaign said Thursday that it has gathered the required 28,000 signatures needed to assure Lee a spot on the ballot. At the same time, Lee supporters continued to recruit voters to run as convention delegates at their neighborhood caucus meetings, said Jordan Hess, campaign manager.

"We are moving ahead in executing the plan we announced well over a year ago, to use every means available under state law to guarantee Sen. Lee is on the ballot," Hess said.

Volunteers have made more than 100,000 phone calls recruiting Lee delegates for the March 22 neighborhood caucuses, he said.

Utah's new election law allows candidates to gather signatures, go through the caucus/convention system or both to get on the primary ballot.

The Utah Republican Party, however, disputes that candidates can choose which path to follow and sued the state. Cases on that issue are pending in federal court and at the U.S. Supreme Court.

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