WASHINGTON — Utah's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, Sam Granato, made his first trip to the nation's Capitol this week.
Although he squeezed in some sightseeing, the real purpose of the visit was to secure support for his race against Republican Mike Lee.
"The whole idea is to raise money and let people know who I am, and that we have a shot to win this race," Granato said.
He said his campaign staff was keeping him running from meeting to meeting. While Granato couldn't say exactly how much money he'd raised, he called the trip a success.
"I can't tell you what they've committed to, but there's a lot of hopeful optimism going on," he said after sitting down with both the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Granato, who trails behind Lee in campaign cash, said he's hoping for a combination of money and resources, including additional staff, from the two organizations.
The United Transportation Union, which represents railroad, bus and mass transit employees, hosted a fundraiser for Granato in Washington. He said some of the attendees didn't bring checks but promised to contribute after hearing his pitch.
"I'm selling it very well back here that a Democrat can win in Utah," he said. "I'm a moderate and a voice of reason. I'm running against a 39-year-old, Washington insider attorney. The fact that I'm a 60-year-old businessman who meets payroll is a big difference."
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