Why huntsman wont win

Neither Williams nor the backer would share specifics of the polling underway since before the close race was called a week ago, or name who is footing the bill. The most recent results of the entirely by-mail primary election have Huntsman coming within just over 6, votes of Cox. Utah law allows write-in candidates to file through Aug. Only the candidate can file, and write-in votes are only counted for those who do so.

Cox has not commented on the possibility of facing Huntsman again in the general election. Elected governor in and again in , Huntsman left office less than a year into his second term to become U. After more than a decade as governor, Herbert is not seeking reelection and has endorsed Cox. University of Utah political science professor Matthew Burbank said a write-in campaign could help the Democratic candidate win by splitting the Republican vote, presenting a risk to the GOP.

Let me think about this. He pointed out that such campaigns rarely are successful, with the exception of Alaska Sen. For instance, in , Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski used a write-in campaign to beat a tea party challenger who had bested her in the Republican primary. Donate to the newsroom now.

The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. By Bethany Rodgers. July 13, , p. By Bethany Rodgers. In case you missed it. You might have to get past your neighbors first. Latest from Mormon Land: Tithing lawsuit against the church is born again. Huntsman, a former Utah governor, recently resigned his post as U. The very fact that he was once able to win the hearts of the redder-than-red folks in Utah yet later serve President Obama in an important post is offered as evidence that he might be that magic politician serious Republicans have been looking for — one orthodox enough to win the GOP nomination but flexible enough to succeed in the general election.

Creative Commons photograph by World Economic Forum. They much prefer a politician like Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who refused to meet with Obama when he delivered an immigration reform speech in El Paso. And even if Huntsman were somehow to nab the nomination, he remains a Republican moderate, which is a whole different kind of moderation.

He signed an anti-choice bill that made it a felony to obtain a late-term abortion, as well as another that requires doctors to describe to patients the pain an abortion would inflict on a fetus.