The 2010 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 2, 2010, along with other midterm elections throughout the United States. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bob Bennett was seeking re-election to a fourth term, but lost renomination at the Republican Party's state convention. Mike Lee proceeded to win the Republican primary against Tim Bridgewater and the general election against Democrat Sam Granato. As of 2024, this is the most recent U.S. Senate election in which a political party held the seat after denying renomination to the incumbent senator.
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 County results Lee: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Granato: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Process
editThe filing period for candidates began March 12, 2010 and ended March 19, 2010. Candidates who had not filed by that date cannot appear on the ballot in November. Eleven candidates filed with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.[1]
Both the Utah State Democratic Party and the Utah State Republican Party held statewide caucus meetings on March 23, 2010. Caucus meetings are grouped by legislative district and divided by precincts with each precinct electing delegates who attend their respective party's state nominating convention.
The Utah State Democratic and Republican Parties held their conventions on May 8, 2010. At the Republican convention, incumbent Senator Bob Bennett finished third in balloting among delegates and was eliminated from the race. Business owner Tim Bridgewater finished first and attorney Mike Lee finished second, but Bridgewater did not receive enough votes (he needed at least 60 percent) to avoid a primary election runoff against Lee.[2] At the Democratic convention, delegates nominated businessman Sam Granato, who received 77.5 percent of the vote.[3]
In the Republican primary election, held on June 22, 2010, Lee became the Republican nominee by winning 51 percent of the vote against Bridgewater's 49 percent.[4]
The general election was held on November 2, 2010. Lee won the election with 62 percent of the vote to Granato's 33 percent and 6 percent for Constitution Party candidate Scott Bradley.[5]
Republican nomination
editConvention
editCandidates
editOn Ballot
- Bob Bennett, incumbent U.S. Senator[6]
- Tim Bridgewater, businessman and candidate for UT-02 in 2002 and 2004[7]
- David Chiu
- Merrill Cook, former U.S. Representative[8]
- Cherilyn Eagar, businesswoman[7]
- Leonard Fabiano
- Jeremy Friedbaum
- Mike Lee, attorney[9]
Withdrew
- Mark Shurtleff State Attorney General[7]
Endorsements
editThe following are endorsements made before the convention
Bennett
Notable Individuals and Organizations endorsing Bob Bennett
- U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah[10]
- Former U.S. Senator Jake Garn of Utah
- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Georgia[11]
- Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts[12]
Lee
State/local level positions (State Senators, Governors, etc.)
- Former Governor Norm Bangerter of Utah
- Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
- State Senator Curt Bramble
- State Senator Allen Christensen
- State Senator Mark Madsen
- State Representative John Dougall
- State Representative Craig Frank
- State Representative Francis Gibson
- State Representative Kerry Gibson
- State Representative Todd Kiser
- State Representative Mike Morley
- State Representative Curt Oda
- State Representative Ken Sumsion
- Former State Representative John Swallow
- State Representative Ryan Wilcox
- State Representative Carl Wimmer
Federal politicians and Organizations
- Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas
- Former U.S. Congressman James V. Hansen of Utah
- U.S. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
- Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
- Editor of conservative weblog RedState Erick Erickson
- Prominent conservative author and talk show host Mark Levin
- FreedomWorks PAC
- Most of the 9/12 and Tea Party Groups of Utah
Polling
edit| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Bob Bennett | Tim Bridgewater | Merrill Cook | Cherilyn Eagar | Mike Lee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports[13] | April 8, 2010 | 14% | 14% | 6% | 4% | 37% |
| Mason Dixon[14] | April 22–25, 2010 | 16% | 20% | 1% | 11% | 37% |
Results
edit| State Republican Convention results, 2010[15][16][17] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | First ballot | Pct. | Second ballot | Pct. | Third ballot | Pct. |
| Mike Lee | 982 | 28.75% | 1225 | 35.99% | 1383 | 42.72% |
| Tim Bridgewater | 917 | 26.84% | 1274 | 37.42% | 1854 | 57.28% |
| Bob Bennett | 885 | 25.91% | 905 | 26.99% | Eliminated | |
| Cherilyn Eagar | 541 | 15.84% | Eliminated | |||
| Merrill Cook | 49 | 1.43% | Eliminated | |||
| Leonard Fabiano | 22 | 0.64% | Eliminated | |||
| Jeremy Friedbaum | 16 | 0.47% | Eliminated | |||
| David Chiu | 4 | 0.12% | Eliminated | |||
| Total | 3,416 | 100.00% | 3,404 | 100.00% | 3,237 | 100.00% |
Primary
editCandidates
edit- Tim Bridgewater, businessman
- Mike Lee, attorney
Endorsements
editBridgewater
Notable Individuals
- Incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Bennett
- Former Chairman of RNC Dick Richards
- State Senator Howard A. Stephenson
- State Senator Jerry Stevenson
- State Senator David Hinkins
- State Representative Greg Hughes
- State Representative Lorie Fowlke
- State Representative Julie Fisher
- State Representative Merlynn Newbold[18]
Utah Mayors[19]
- Clearfield: Don Wood
- Coalville: Duane Schmidt
- Draper: Darrel Smith
- Fruit Heights: Todd Stevenson
- Farmington: Scott Harbertson
- Harrisville: Richard Hendrix
- Kaysville: Steve Hiatt
- Pleasant Grove: Bruce Call
- Pleasant View: Doug Clifford
- Provo: John Curtis
- Riverdale: J. Bruce Burrows
- Roy: Joe Ritchie
- Sandy: Tom Dolan
- Saratoga Springs: Mia Love
- St. George: Daniel McArthur
- South Weber: M. Jeffery Monroe
- Taylorsville: Russ Wall
- West Jordan: Melissa Johnson
Lee
Federal politicians and Organizations
- U.S. Senator Jim DeMint
- Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
- Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas
- Former U.S. Congressman James V. Hansen of Utah
- U.S. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
- Editor of conservative weblog RedState Erick Erickson
- Prominent conservative author and talk show host Mark Levin
- FreedomWorks PAC
- Republican Liberty Caucus
State/local politicians and organizations
- Former Governor Norm Bangerter of Utah
- Attorney General Mark Shurtleff
- State Senator Curt Bramble
- State Senator Allen Christensen
- State Senator Mark Madsen
- State Representative John Dougall
- State Representative Francis Gibson
- State Representative Kerry Gibson
- State Representative Craig Frank
- State Representative Ken Sumsion
- State Representative Todd Kiser
- State Representative Mike Morley
- State Representative Curt Oda
- State Representative Ryan Wilcox
- State Representative Carl Wimmer
- Former State Representative John Swallow
- Most of the 9/12 and Tea Party Groups of Utah
Polling
edit| Poll Source | Dates Administered | Tim Bridgewater | Mike Lee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Research[20] | June 10, 2010 | 30% | 39% |
| Deseret News/KSL-TV[21] | June 12–17, 2010 | 42% | 33% |
Results
edit
Lee—60–70%
Lee—50–60%
Bridgewater—50–60%
Bridgewater—60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Lee | 98,512 | 51.2% | |
| Republican | Tim Bridgewater | 93,905 | 48.8% | |
| Total votes | 192,417 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic nomination
editCandidates
editResults
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Granato | 77 | 77% | |
| Democratic | Christopher Stout | 23 | 23% | |
| Total votes | 100 | 100.0% | ||
General election
editCandidates
edit- Scott Bradley (C), businessman
- Sam Granato (D), businessman
- Mike Lee (R), attorney
Campaign
editGranato emphasized his opposition to nuclear weapon tests in neighboring Nevada. In addition, he criticized Lee for his support of raising the retirement age and for questioning the constitutionality of Social Security.[25]
Predictions
edit| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Cook Political Report[26] | Solid R | October 26, 2010 |
| Rothenberg[27] | Safe R | October 22, 2010 |
| RealClearPolitics[28] | Safe R | October 26, 2010 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[29] | Safe R | October 21, 2010 |
| CQ Politics[30] | Safe R | October 26, 2010 |
Polling
edit| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Sam Granato (D) | Mike Lee (R) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports[31] | June 23, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 28% | 58% | 5% | 9% |
| Rasmussen Reports[32] | August 23, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 29% | 54% | 5% | 12% |
| Rasmussen Reports[33] | October 13, 2010 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 28% | 61% | 4% | 8% |
| Deseret News/KSL-TV[34] | October 11–14, 2010 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 31% | 53% | 1% | 11% |
| Mason-Dixon[35] | October 27, 2010 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 32% | 48% | 5% | 15% |
| Deseret News/KSL-TV[36] | October 25–28, 2010 | 1,206 | ± 3.0% | 30% | 57% | 6% | 7% |
Fundraising
edit| Candidate (Party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash On Hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Lee (R) | $1,595,383 | $1,423,494 | $165,314 | $57,691 |
| Sam Granato (D) | $250,607 | $219,776 | $30,831 | $15,000 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[37] | ||||
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Lee | 390,179 | 61.56% | −7.18% | |
| Democratic | Sam Granato | 207,685 | 32.77% | +4.37% | |
| Constitution | Scott Bradley | 35,937 | 5.67% | +3.78% | |
| Majority | 182,494 | 28.79% | |||
| Total votes | 633,801 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
editReferences
edit- ^ "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
- ^ Gehrke, Robert. "Bennett out; GOP delegates reject 18-year Senate veteran - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ Loomis, Brandon. "Matheson forced into runoff election - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ Gehrke, Robert (June 23, 2010). "Lee clinches GOP Senate nomination - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
- ^ "Utah Election Results". Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- ^ Bernick, Bob Jr. (December 6, 2008). "Bennett is gearing up for another Senate bid". Deseret News. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
- ^ a b c "ksl.com".
- ^ Steinhauser, Paul; Hamby, Peter (February 25, 2010). "Bennett gets another primary challenger". CNN. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
- ^ Davidson, Lee (January 5, 2010). "Mike Lee enters Senate race against Bennett — with Shurtleff endorsement". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
- ^ "Hatch endorses Bennett's re-election". ksl.com. September 5, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ Robert GehrkeThe Salt Lake Tribune (February 3, 2010). "Gingrich endorses Bennett re-election bid - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ "Romney endorses Bob Bennett in 2010 Senate race". Heraldextra.com. April 6, 2009. Archived from the original on October 9, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ Rasmussen Reports
- ^ Mason Dixon [permanent dead link]
- ^ Senate Race: 1st Round Results Archived May 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ Senate Race: 2nd Round Results Archived May 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ Senate Race: 3rd Round Results Archived May 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Accessed May 10, 2010
- ^ "Tim Bridgewater Receives Key Legislative Endorsements | Bridgewater for Senate". Timbridgewater.com. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ "Bridgewater Announces Endorsements by Municipal Leaders | Bridgewater for Senate". Timbridgewater.com. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
- ^ Wilson Research
- ^ Deseret News/KSL-TV
- ^ Utah Election Results Archived June 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sam Granato for U.S. Senate".
- ^ "Another Democratic Challenger to Bennett".
- ^ "Senate candidates take stands on Social Security reform". Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ "Senate". Cook Political Report. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ^ "Senate Ratings". Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ^ "Battle for the Senate". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ^ "2010 Senate Ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ^ "Race Ratings Chart: Senate". CQ Politics. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- ^ Rasmussen Reports
- ^ Rasmussen Reports
- ^ Rasmussen Reports
- ^ Deseret News/KSL-TV
- ^ Mason-Dixon
- ^ Deseret News/KSL-TV
- ^ "2010 House and Senate Campaign Finance for Utah". fec.gov. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
- ^ "Results". elections.utah.gov. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
External links
edit- Utah Government Services - Elections
- U.S. Congress candidates for Utah at Project Vote Smart
- Utah U.S. Senate 2010 from OurCampaigns.com
- Campaign contributions from Open Secrets
- Election 2010: Utah Senate from Rasmussen Reports
- Utah Senate - Lee vs. Granato from Real Clear Politics
- 2010 Utah Senate Race from CQ Politics
- Race profile from The New York Times
Debates
- Utah Senate Republican Primary Debate, C-SPAN, June 2, 2010
- Utah Senate Debate, C-SPAN, September 16, 2010
Official campaign sites (Archived)