The dogfight between Republican Sen. Mike Lee and independent challenger Evan McMullin appears to be the most expensive political race ever in Utah.
And with Election Day less than a week away and tens of thousands of Utahns having already cast their ballots, the two candidates are still asking.
Meantime, Lee and McMullin are throwing out new endorsements of their campaigns as the onslaught of ads continues to bombard televisions, mail boxes and social media accounts.
In 2020, the price tag in the hotly contested 4th Congressional District race between Democrat Ben McAdams and Republican Burgess Owens came in at $23 million, including outside spending. Owens narrowly ousted the incumbent McAdams in what was the most spendy race in state history.
The Lee-McMullin matchup has blown by that number, totaling at least $31 million in candidate and PAC spending.
How much have Lee and McMullin spent?
Lee has spent $9.7 million trying to keep his seat, while McMullin has spent $5.8 million trying to take it away, according to opensecrets.com, a website that tracks election spending based on Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports.
Super PACs have also played a supersized role in the race, combining to shell out more than $15.6 million on mostly negative television ads, mailers and social media posts targeting the two candidates.
Club for Growth Action and its affiliate Crypto Freedom PAC have pumped more than $8 million into the state on ads against McMullin and supporting Lee, according to opensecrets.com. Put Utah First, a Salt Lake City-based PAC taking aim at Lee, has spent nearly $5 million.
Super PACs targeting McMullin, Lee
A conservative super PAC based in Washington, D.C., Club for Growth launched a new ad featuring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2024.
“To get America on the right path forward we need a Republican majority in the Senate and that’s why I’m proud to endorse Mike Lee,” DeSantis says in the 30-second spot. “His opponent endorsed Biden for president, he’s no independent, he’s a donkey in sheep’s clothing. He’ll be a vote for Biden not for Utah.”
Put Utah First, whose large donors include longtime Democratic contributors and tech sector leaders, has a recent social media ad positioning the race as McMullin and Utah GOP Sen. Mitt Romney versus Lee and former President Donald Trump, even though Romney has not endorsed either candidate. McMullin has said throughout the campaign that if elected he would team up with Romney on legislation and work as the first-term senator has in Washington.
“The senators who are willing to act with the greatest independence, standing up to party bosses, special interest groups, the extremes, they have become the most influential people in the chamber and in Washington second to the president,” McMullin said in an interview this week with Sharon McMahon, a popular social media influencer know as “America’s Government Teacher.”
Trump endorsed Lee in April but the Lee campaign has hardly acknowledged the former president’s support. Trump has since put out two more statements backing Lee, including one Wednesday in which he called the two-term senator a “gem,” while referring to McMullin with an unflattering name again.
“He will never let you down, whereas his opponent, McMuffin, will only let you down. Mike has long had my Complete and Total Endorsement, and even more strongly now!” Trump said.
Do Trump, Romney endorsements help or hurt?
An Emerson College poll released this week measured the impact of a Trump endorsement and Romney endorsement in the Utah Senate race.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling said “either a Trump endorsement or Romney endorsement may do more harm than good. “
The survey of 825 likely Utah voters found 24% say they are more likely to support a candidate endorsed by Trump, while 42% are less likely to support a candidate endorsed by Trump. Twenty-two percent of voters are more likely to support a candidate if they are endorsed by Romney, compared to 38% who are less likely to support a candidate endorsed by Romney, the poll found.
Also this week, 200 former and retired diplomats and national security officials and veterans came out in support of McMullin.
McMullin is prepared to stand up against all that imperils democracy, the bipartisan group wrote in a letter.
“He will stand up to those who use violence to achieve political ends. He will stand up to people who lie about elections to protest outcomes they do not like,” the letter says. “He will stand up to those who circumvent the law to install their preferred candidates against the will of the people.”
Send more money
As the candidates and super PACs pour millions of dollars in the race, Lee and McMullin continue to hit up Utah voters for money.
“If McMullin flips this seat, Democrats will likely hold the Senate majority. We cannot let that happen! I need to hear from you in the next hour — don’t let the Left buy this seat,” says a Lee fundraising email.
McMullin tweeted this week, “We have a chance to replace one of the most anti-democracy senators in Washington — but I need your help. Mike Lee’s special interest groups are outspending us and we must fight back in this final week. Will you chip in $10 today to help out?”
Correction: An earlier version attributed a quote in the Sharon McMahon interview to Mike Lee. The quote belongs to Evan McMullin.