Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, the wonkish and largely conservative Utah legislator, probably did not expect his vote on TARP to be his undoing. But that vote played a large part in ending his Senate career (for now, anyway) at yesterday’s statewide GOP convention meeting. He is among the first victims of the Tea Party phenomenon, and another notch in the belt of the Club for Growth, which worked extensively to influence party delegates.
Bennett made a close third-place finish in the first round of balloting yesterday. Because he failed to finish in the top two, Utah party rules prevent him from appearing on the primary ballot on June 22. Instead, Utah Republicans will choose between attorney Mike Lee and businessman Tim Bridgewater.
Reid Wilson of The Hotline reports:
On the first ballot, Lee led with 28.75%, followed by Bridgewater’s 26.84%. Bennett finished third, with 25.91%. The remaining vote split among candidates who have openly opposed Bennett, making any comeback attempt a longshot to begin with.
Bennett, the 3-term incumbent with a largely conservative record, is the first victim of an angry GOP primary electorate, which is upset with his votes over TARP legislation and his work with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) to try and forge a health care consensus. He had been targeted by the conservative Club for Growth, which did not back a specific rival but urged delegates to vote against the incumbent.
