Trump’s Endorsement Could Crown Winner in Race to Fill Mitt Romney’s Seat

There are some states where Donald Trump’s endorsement has a little more pull than others.

One of those states is Utah, where nearly 40% of voters say they will pull the handle for Trump’s candidate.

If that is the case, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs is likely to be the next Republican Senator from Utah.

They Love Them Some Trump

Trump’s endorsement power will be put to the test in this election for sure.

Trump is squaring off directly against a pick by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) in a House race where Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT), who has only had the seat for seven months, is in a tight primary race.

Lee had already endorsed Colby Jenkins for the seat, so expect this race to come down the wire.

Staggs will not have an easy time either, facing off against former state House Speaker Brad Wilson, Moxie Pest Control CEO Jason Walton, and 3rd District congressman John Curtis.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the frontrunner in that race is John Curtis, so this could be a major blow for Trump in his endorsement record.

While Trump does have significant support in the state, there are still those who look at Trump’s support of a candidate as a negative.

Remember, this is an uber-conservative state that is very much faith-based, so some of Trump’s antics may not sit well, as is the case with Jacob Fried.

Fried stated, “To me, it’s a minus.

“I do not think Trump is anything resembling what a real Republican is. ... So his endorsement, to me, is a big negative.”

There were also Trump supporters who stated that Trump’s endorsement had no influence, such as Herriman City Council Member Sherrie Ohrn, who stated, “I definitely support President Trump.

“But it doesn’t make or break the Senate candidates for me.”

The key for Republicans here is to simply win the seat to keep pressure on Democrats in key battleground states.

There is simply no way the GOP can afford to let a Democrat slip in and win a seat from Utah, so, win or lose, I would hope the entire party will back the winner of the June 25 primary.