Article author:
Associated Press
Sam Metz
Salt Lake City (AP) — Mitt Romney is not scheduled to be reelected this year. However, a Trump Republican hostile to the Utah Senator repeatedly themed his name in this year's primary, used him as a foil, and ridiculed his rival "Mitt Romney Republican." ..
The Republicans used this concept to assemble the main enemies of the Trump-era GOP in Southeast Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. One of the most active super PACs in this year's primary, the anti-tax group Club For Growth used the "Mitt Romney Republican Party" as a central premise for offensive advertising in the North Carolina Senate primary. ..
However, there is no mention of Romney republicanism as common as Utah. Despite being popular with many of the population here, candidates are repeatedly rolling out the "Mitt Romney Republican" as a trail attack for the campaign for Tuesday's Republican primary.
"The Republican Party has two different divisions," said former state parliamentarian Chris Herrod, who is running for the Third Parliamentary District on the outskirts of Utah, in a debate last month.
"If it's more in line with Mitt Romney and Spencer Cox, I'm probably not your man," he added, referring to the Governor of Utah.
The fact that his brand has become a prey to powerful attacks reflects how unique Romney's position in US politics is. President Donald Trump twice.
"In fact, it's a kind of embarrassment," said anti-Trump Republican Becky Edwards, who is running in the Utah Senate primary.
As one of the most prominent members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Romney is revered by many in Utah, where the church is the dominant political and cultural entity. He won praise for turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City after the bribery scandal. After moving full-time to Utah over 10 years ago, he won the state Senate in 2018. He did not respond to requests for comment on this story.
In an interview, Herod, who went to Las Vegas for a Romney campaign in 2012, said mentioning Romney was an effective shorthand. .. John Curtiss. Herod attacked Curtis for his position on energy policy and the creation of a conservative Caucus in Congress.
"During the campaign, it's a little difficult to draw a line. I just put it in words that people thought they could understand," Herrod said.
According to the Curtis campaign, Congressmen focused more on legislation and bill passage than on branding. "Member Curtis isn't spending time labeling himself or other Republicans," his campaign manager, Adriel Herring, said in a statement.
Like Herod, a candidate running in the 1st Parliamentary District of northern Utah, Andrew Badger assembles a primary as a "tug of war" between two competing factions within the Republican Party. .. He explains that one is a moderately compromise-friendly wing embodied by Romney and the other is a conservative wing embodied by Utah Senator Mike Leigh.
Both Anagma and Herod defeat Romney four years after Romney easily defeated right-wing state legislators and general elections in Utah's Republican primary. We acknowledge that an attack could result in the resignation of some voters. But given how Republican politics has changed over the last six years, they question the sustainability of his support.
"There's more frustration, it's just building. I don't think he'll win today's vote. It's certainly not a Republican primary," badger said.
His campaign's anaguma was about the simmering anger that resulted from the 2020 elections, the anger at the coronavirus obligations, and how to teach race, gender, and gender in schools from kindergarten to high school. I'm focusing. He is Romney and his enemy incumbent by attacking Moore as one of the 35 Republicans who voted to create an independent committee to investigate the January 6 riots. Attempted to draw a direct line with Congressman Blake Moore.
In a district where support for Trump remains strong, he likened Moore's vote to Romney's two votes for impeachment.
"These people like Mitt Romney and Blake Moore always build a cave to the left when pressure is applied," badgers said. "I'm not going to compromise for compromise."
Moore didn't vote for impeachment. After the Senate abolished the committee, Moore, along with all but two Republicans, voted against the final convocation of the election committee on January 6.
In response to Moore being called a "Mitt Romney Republican," Caroline Tucker, a campaign spokesman for the House of Representatives, believes the legislative process does not require abandonment. He said he could best explain it as a "Big Tent Republican." His conservative principles.
Jason Perry, director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Political Science, said the label "Mitt Romney Republican Party" could appeal to some of the Republican's key voters, but Romney said. Given his popularity, he said it was unlikely that it would work in Utah. He said.
"They are appealing to some Republicans, but they probably don't have the far right numbers to succeed," Perry said.
