Former Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman has had a rough few weeks in his campaign to regain Utah’s governorship, but he’s picked up a very important ally in his quest to make it to the June GOP primary ballot. Sen. Mike Lee, who is very popular with the state’s conservative base, endorsed Huntsman, who very much is not, on Friday. While the two have very different political profiles, they have a long history together. Lee served as Huntsman’s general counsel during his governorship, while Huntsman backed the senator in 2015 at the same time that his father, Jon Huntsman Sr., was unsuccessfully trying to recruit a primary challenger.
Lee’s support could be a boon to the younger Huntsman at the important April 25 party convention, an event that will take place virtually this year. Utah Policy Bryan Schott reported the previous day that pictures were briefly posted on Facebook of Lee appearing to shoot a video supporting Huntsman that would be played for delegates ahead of the convention. And the former governor can very much use the help, since this gathering could determine if Huntsman even makes it to the primary.
As we’ve written before, candidates in Utah can make it to the ballot either by turning in enough signatures or by performing well at their party convention. Huntsman has been trying both routes, but he got some very bad news on March 26 when Schott reported that he still needed another 11,500 valid petitions ahead of the April 13 deadline. The coronavirus has made this already difficult task even more complicated, and while the state has taken steps to allow voters to sign these petitions at home, Huntsman is still struggling to hit his goal. State election officials reported on Thursday evening that Huntsman still needed just over 5,800 more valid petitions, and he only has until Monday to finish the task.
If he fails, Huntsman can still get to the primary by competing at the April 25 party convention, but he’ll face plenty of other candidates at the gathering. Huntsman, who ran for president in 2012 as a moderate, may also have a tough time appealing to the anti-establishment delegates who dominate these events.
That’s where Lee’s support could be vital. Unlike Huntsman, the senator is quite popular with conservative activists, and he’s taken their side in bitter intra-party battles. Notably, Lee has loudly but unsuccessfully opposed SB 54, the 2014 law that allows candidates to get on the ballot by collecting signatures. (Until this law took effect, the one and only way to reach the primary was through the convention.) If Lee can convince enough delegates to back Huntsman later this month, his endorsement could go a long way towards saving Huntsman’s campaign.
The good news for Huntsman is that he doesn’t need a majority of the delegates to vote for him in order to make it past the convention. State GOP rules say that, in races with three or more contenders, the convention may opt to either use multiple ballots or preference voting to gradually eliminate candidates from consideration; according to Utah Policy, the party has decided to use ranked-choice voting this year. If one contender ends up taking more than 60% of the delegate vote, they will be the only candidate to reach the primary ballot. If, however, no one hits this threshold, then the two competitors left standing will advance to the primary. (Utah Democrats' rules work the same way.)
If Huntsman fails to turn in enough petitions by Monday and falls short at the convention, it’s still possible he’ll get another chance to make it to the primary ballot. The state legislature will start a special session focused on the coronavirus during the week of April 13, and the upcoming primary will be part of the agenda. Lawmakers will consider state Sen. Wayne Harper's legislation to move the contest from June 30 to Aug. 4, and, more importantly for Huntsman, Harper said that his bill might include a provision that would extend the signature gathering deadline or eliminate it altogether.
However, Harper also said that legislative leaders would probably decide whether to change the rules regarding petitions, and so far, it’s not clear what they want to do. Utah Policy’s Bob Bernick also noted that retiring Gov. Gary Herbert has the authority to change or do away with the signature requirements, but he hasn’t exercised this power. Bernick also predicted that some candidates could try to sue to get onto the ballot if Herbert doesn’t end up taking action.
Should Huntsman make it to the primary, he’s still for a difficult battle of another sort. Recent polls show Huntsman in a close race against Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who has already reached the ballot by turning in the requisite number of signatures. Cox and Lee have a terrible relationship, which could explain in part why the senator is helping Huntsman at what may well be his most desperate hour.
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