Tea partier braces for primary challenge from establishment
Tea party favorite Mike Lee roiled the GOP establishment four years ago when he knocked off a sitting senator on his way to the Republican Senate nomination in Utah.
Now, the establishment might strike back.
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As the 43-year-old Lee plots his 2016 reelection bid, he is courting business leaders under the radar, hoping to head off a primary challenge backed by business leaders and other establishment figures in his home state, like billionaire Jon Huntsman Sr., an influential bank CEO and a former Utah GOP party chairman.
Some powerful establishment Republicans in Utah are tired of Lees hard-line positions. He stood with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas last year when the federal government closed and again this month when they tried to take on President Barack Obama on immigration but ended up giving Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada leverage to confirm controversial nominations.
So as Lee fights to make sure he doesnt become the first tea party senator ousted by the party establishment, hes effectively turned the Republican intraparty war that has defined Senate primary politics for the past four years on its head.
I think Im going to be OK, Lee said when asked about lingering concerns about his performance in Congress in corners of Utahs business world.
Lee has made significant headway in some Utah establishment quarters but threats are lingering.
Huntsman, who founded the petrochemical giant that bears his name, refuses to meet with Lee because of his extremely radical positions and is considering putting his political and financial muscle behind a primary challenger.
Scott Anderson, a prominent bank president in Salt Lake City, has privately commissioned polls to assess Lees race while meeting with some of his prospective foes to gauge their interest.
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Tea partier braces for primary challenge from establishment