Sen. Mike Lee is trying to remake the Republican Party in his own image, and he’s starting in his home state.
But while Lee has long used an uncompromising approach to politics in Washington, D.C., it’s unclear how that style will translate to Utah politics.
The Beehive State’s senior senator sent shockwaves through Utah political circles when, just days before the April 27 state convention, he launched a campaign to replace 2nd District incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy with the previously unheard of Colby Jenkins.
Maloy, a Republican, won a special election in 2023 to replace Rep. Chris Stewart, her former boss, in the 2nd District. Lee’s decision came as a surprise to her. Aside from endorsing the already GOP-nominated Stewart in 2012, Lee has never wielded his national electoral influence at home in congressional primaries. Until now.
Former gubernatorial candidate Carson Jorgensen, who served as GOP chair from 2021 to 2023, said Lee’s decision was risky.
“It is a double-edged sword,” Jorgensen said. “You can be a kingmaker, but you can also weaken yourself at the same time.”
Read more about Lee's decision to endorse Jenkins.