Lee vs. McMullin: A Senate Race for Utah

    Well, it’s that time of year again. The days are growing shorter, a crisp chill lingers in the air, Halloween decor floods stores, and pumpkin spice is back in every cafe across the country. Yep, this can mean only one thing; election season is back again!
   

     Okay, so perhaps that’s not exactly what most people are anticipating with the arrival of autumn, but the biannual run up to the November elections are still happening whether we want them to or not. Luckily, there is no presidential election this year, and instead we can focus more on our local representation in our states and communities. One election that I am quite invested in this go around is for a US Senate seat representing Utah. The current incumbent, Republican Mike Lee, is making a bid for a third six-year term while his main challenger is an Independent candidate by the name of Evan McMullin. With that said, I would like to share my personal endorsement of Mr. Evan McMullin to represent Utah in the nation’s capitol.

    I believe McMullin is highly qualified to hold the office of Senator, bringing with him a unique perspective and essential experience to an elected body that is in dire need of a good shake up. As an Independent candidate, he is not beholden to either of the polarizing factions that are currently splitting this nation down partisan lines. McMullin is a proven moderate conservative who views fiscal responsibility as a necessity in our recovering economy, upholding the rule of law, and is engrained with deeply held beliefs in the importance of family and community values, but also defends the rights and freedoms of those who may walk different paths in their pursuit of happiness. He also fights against extremism in all its forms, having served in the CIA after the events of 9/11, and played intergal parts in many operations against terrorism, Evan has a distinct and expert understanding of what radical hate is capable of and how to combat it both abroad and at home.

    As the gulf of partisan politics grows into an ever widening chasm, it is independent thinkers like McMullin that have the ability to bridge the gap and work with both sides to find functional compromises that will most effectively push this country forward. Best of all, Utah would have a wild card congressman that could tip the scales on stagnating issues and turn the wheels of government, or hit the brakes on nefarious bills from the extremes of either side of the aisle.

    Meanwhile, our current incumbent, Mike Lee, has dug in his heels and planted roots firmly within the far right. He replaces compromise with rigid idealism that acts as a pebble in clockwork, grinding gears to a halt and damaging the mechanism set forth by our founding fathers. He rejects scientific facts with ignorant fantasies; such as the bewildering idea that climate change can be solved by having more babies. The man has pushed conspiracy theories, embraced limiting Americans' agency, and touts supporting Senate term limits to two terms as he himself now runs for a third. During his tenure in office, Lee has shown an increased tendancy towards backwards thinking, alt-right beliefs and debunked hypotheses that has dissolved his influence in Congress to the realm of irrelevancy, and has conformed himself into just another pawn of the two-party establishment.

    Evan McMullin breaks the mold that Mike Lee and so many others on the right and the left have comfortably positioned themselves into. Every American I have ever met feels that the system in this country is broken, yet we keep voting in the same people with the same red elephant or blue donkey smeared across their names that continue to choose the status quo over an actual functioning government, which leaves us all frustrated and lingering in the depths of hopelessness. Isn’t it time to try something different? Isn’t it time to begin breaking down the duopoly that has left our system immobile and sinking in the quagmire of static ideology? Personally, I believe that time was long ago, but the keys to our freedom are always within our reach so long as we have the will to stretch out our hand and take them. I strongly encourage every eligible voter in Utah to consider Evan McMullin for the senate seat this November. But most importantly, get out and vote, or vote by mail and make your voice heard. If you would like to learn more about Evan McMullin, his stances, and who he is, you can visit his official campaign site here: https://evanmcmullin.com/