McMullin: ‘Possible that I will challenge Chaffetz or Senator Hatch’

In this October 2016 file photo, independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin speaks during a rally in Draper, Utah. Two months after he jumped into the presidential race as a political unknown, McMullin was surging in Utah polls and drawing large crowds of Republican-leaning voters fed up with Donald Trump’s crudeness and antics, Draper, Utah, Oct. 21, 2016 | Associated Press photo by Rick Bowmer, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Will former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin run for public office again? According to an answer he gave on Reddit Friday, he said it is “likely” he may do so in 2018 or later.

During an “ask me anything” online chat session on Reddit, McMullin said he might consider challenging Rep. Jason Chaffetz or Sen. Orrin Hatch.

It is possible that I will challenge Chaffetz or Senator Hatch, but there are a lot of factors that go into that decision,” McMullin said. “One of the primary factors is what the people of Utah want.”

It’s not the first time McMullin has said he may consider running against Hatch. He floated the idea last October when it was initially reported Hatch was consider running for re-election.

However, another run for public office could also be “very far down the road,” McMullin said.

I genuinely just don’t know yet,” he said. “I’m very focused on things that I think need to be done ASAP and Mindy Finn and I, with our team at Stand Up Republic, advancing them now.”

Stand Up Republic is a described as a nonprofit conservative group focused on advancing conservative principles while also acting as a political watchdog group that will be “standing up to the (Donald) Trump administration when warranted.”

The group recently announced the launch of a television and digital ad campaign urging Congress to mount a comprehensive investigation into the president’s alleged ties to Russia.

McMullin, a former CIA agent, ran a three-month campaign against Trump in 2016. He campaigned as a conservative alternative to Trump in various states, and in Utah, he finished with 21.5 percent of the vote, making it one of the highest turnouts ever reported for a third-party presidential candidate.

While on the campaign trail McMullin was an outspoken critic of Trump. He said Trump was not a real conservative and was more of a New York-style liberal than anything.

Those criticisms have not stopped and routinely appear on McMullin’s Twitter account.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

 

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11 Comments

  • wilbur March 20, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    Clearly a Russian plant.

    • Utahguns March 20, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      My thoughts exactly…like a liberal snap dragon?

    • Chris March 20, 2017 at 7:16 pm

      the Russian plant is in the White House.

  • comments March 20, 2017 at 3:41 pm

    I will take him over Chaffetz and hatch any day. May not be great, but what we got now could hardly be any worse.

    • Henry March 21, 2017 at 7:31 am

      Bob, I’d take you over McMullin. What’s your platform? (grin)

  • voice of reason March 20, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    Russian plant or not, if he runs against Hatch, he has my vote.
    Hell, I’d vote for comments if he was running against Hatch.

  • John March 20, 2017 at 6:56 pm

    self serving egomaniac know-nothing loser

  • Not_So_Much March 20, 2017 at 8:11 pm

    It sure would be nice for Constitutional conservatives who would step up against the GOP crusher machine and lay out a sensible plan for this state and this country’s future. Along the lines of Mike Lee only more so.

  • utahdiablo March 20, 2017 at 9:13 pm

    Mcmuffin?…… you don’t have a chance

  • commonsense March 20, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    Don’t waste your time. You lost to Hillary. You really have no constituency.. .

  • darkgoddess March 21, 2017 at 5:34 am

    That old dinosaur Hatch needs to be replaced.

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