As the Utah people get ready to elect their representative to the U.S. Senate, Senator Mike Lee still fits the bill.
Mike Lee came to office in 2011. He was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after beating the then-incumbent Senator Bob Bennett. Lee’s great potential saw him included on the list of 25 possible Supreme Court nominees by Donald Trump in 2018 to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy. Before his election to the Senate, Lee was counsel to Jon Huntsman, the former Utah Governor. Lee has served in various committees since his election to the Senate, the most recent ones being the Joint Economic Committee as a ranking member, the Committee on Aging (Special), the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Having been assigned to these communities and many others that he served before, Lee stands in a better position to adequately present and find solutions for Utah's challenges.
Even though Lee's opponent, Evan McMullin, is trying to paint him as an "extremist," Utahns themselves are in a position to realize that the mudslinging doesn’t match the truth. As opposed to the claims that Lee carries out his legislative role from the fringe as well as sympathizes with people like Vladimir Putin, Lee has continued performing his legislative role seriously – fighting for the values of the great nation including constitutional rights protection, freedom from big government, equal opportunities, and free enterprise. I don't think what Lee is doing matches the definition of an extremist.
On the other hand, McMullin who has pledged to "bridge the partisan divide" is doing the exact opposite of that – hurling insults and making outlandish claims. Lee's records show that he is a bipartisan legislator who works round the clock to come up with common ground with legislators from the other side of the aisle, either via his FORMULA Act, reforms putting a limit on federal surveillance of American citizens, the largest criminal justice reform, the expanded child tax credit of 2017, and many others.
Even though McMullin has continued to attack him through unending insults, Utahns have witnessed Lee's capability firsthand on various occasions. Lee is very enthusiastic when it comes to interacting with local leaders to learn what's really happening in the state. He has demonstrated that he is a champion for safeguarding the constitutional rights of the people of Utah, and Utahns will be lucky to continue hearing his voice and benefiting from his expertise on this important issue.
If you rely on reality, you will discover that Lee is not a divisive, partisan extremist, as McMullin is trying to paint him. Throughout his political journey, Lee has been a thoughtful, and proactive legislator whose door has always been open for negotiation and finding a solution to the challenges pressing the nation.
For the outstanding work Senator Lee has done for the great people of Utah and for his love for the state, he deserves another chance in Washington, D.C. With him in the U.S. Senate, the voice of the Utah people will be heard.
