UT-03 Republican primary results: Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT): 56% John Jacob: 44%
Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) handily defeated his opponent yesterday in the Republican primary for Utah's 3rd District, reports Glen Warchol of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Though some polls had predicted the race would be nail-bitingly close, Rep. Cannon bested anti-immigration candidate John Jacob by a twelve-point margin. The outcome of the contest, which many saw as a political bellwether for Republicans who supported President Bush's moderate proposal for immigration reform, brings into question the appeal to voters of taking a hard-right stand on immigration; ultimately, Cannon's "'racism and xenophobia are not Republican virtues'" trope, as well as all the advantages inherent to incumbency, won the day, while his allegiance to President Bush and his ties to an unpopular Congress did not cost him his job. LINK
The Utah Daily Herald's Alan Choate: LINK
The Deseret News' Bob Bernick Jr.: LINK
It turns out that invoking Satan in a campaign may not be the most endearing tactic. LINK