It appears that former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr's father, Jon Huntsman Sr., has endorsed Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson for re-election. I'm not sure what this means or if Huntsman Sr. happens to be close friends with Jim Matheson. However, I would imagine this gives Matheson a bit of a boost in his campaign as he's in a competitive race against Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love.
Jon Huntsman Sr. is a very wealthy businessman (richer than even Mitt Romney) who has had a long history in the state of Utah, particularly with regards to business community. In addition, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business has a building named the Jon M. Huntsman Hall. In addition, Huntsman Sr. recently put his ski house on the market for $49.5 million!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...
Here's an interesting bit of information: Jim Matheson's brother, Scott Matheson Jr. lost to Jon Huntsman Jr. in the 2004 Utah Gubernatorial race.
Some info from the Salt Lake City Tribute:
http://www.sltrib.com/...
"The Matheson and Huntsman families have enjoyed three generations of respected association," Huntsman said in the prepared statement. "[Rep. Jim Matheson] is a conservative ‘Blue Dog’ congressional leader from Utah who represents our state very well."
Matheson, a six-term incumbent, is running in Utah’s new 4th Congressional District against Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love.
The congressman praised Huntsman’s "remarkable legacy of public service."
"My family and his family have long shared the values of giving back to the community and working in a bipartisan way to solve problems and achieve progress. I am very proud to have his endorsement in my congressional race."
In addition, more of the Huntsman family has endorsed Jim Matheson:
David Huntsman, son of Jon Huntsman Sr. and president and CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, also endorsed Matheson.
Abby Huntsman, the former governor’s daughter and a political commentator at Huffingtonpost.com, tweeted Friday: "I’m in too! This country needs more bipartisanship."
Now Jon Huntsman Jr. himself has not been listed as endorsing Jim Matheson yet although I really wouldn't be surprised if he did. Huntsman Jr. has not been pleased with the state of the Republican Party these days, was booted out of a fundraiser earlier this year and did not attend the GOP National Convention. Mia Love represents a contradiction to many things Huntsman Jr. stands for whereas Jim Matheson fits more in line with Huntsman's views (even though I find Huntsman Jr. more appealing than Matheson). I mean, yes, Love really likes the Ghostbusters films but then again, who doesn't?
Now I know what you're thinking: Matheson didn't vote for the Affordable Healthcare Act. We shouldn't support a moderate conservative/blue dog Democrat like him. On the other hand, Mia Love is even more conservative and narrow minded than Matheson is. Given that Utah is one of the top five reddest states in the U.S., the Democrats are lucky to have even one Congressman of their own in the state. Comparing Matheson to Love, Matheson is the more reasonable of the two and would be more bipartisan.
Therefore, I suggest donating to Jim Matheson's campaign:
https://services.myngp.com/...