SALT LAKE CITY — With two weeks to go until the primary election, the GOP candidates for the U.S. Senate announced new endorsements Tuesday.
Tim Bridgewater won the endorsement of the Utah Medical Association, which represents some 80 percent of the doctors in the state. The organization cited Bridgewater's experience as a small-business owner and his support for tort reform as the main factors in the decision.
Mike Lee is the first candidate backed by LibertyCentral.org, a conservative website that describes itself as dedicated to securing "the blessings of liberty." Lee's platform is described by the group as "a federalist return to Congress with more limited powers."
Lee also has released two new radio ads featuring Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, former Gov. Norm Bangerter and former Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, talking about Lee's willingness to take on Washington, D.C.
Bridgewater and Lee defeated Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, in last month's GOP state convention. The pair will square off in the party's June 22 primary, with the winner going on to face Democrat Sam Granato in November.
— Lisa Riley Roche