Mitt Romney may not be acceptable to some conservatives, but Utah Republicans believe that if he wins the party’s presidential nomination he could help defeat Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson in the state’s fourth district House race.
Matheson, who is seeking a seventh term, has beaten every Republican challenger in the past. But his year could be different, according to a report Wednesday in
Roll Call, because of Romney’s strong ties to the state.
“People in Utah are so tied to Romney, they’re so grateful for what he did in saving the Olympics,” Republican consultant Brian Chapman told Roll Call. “If Romney is the nominee, you will have a massive turnout of Republicans in Utah that overwhelm any Democrat.”
Republican state Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, who plans to challenge Matheson, agrees. He told Roll Call the fourth district is “the hardest district for a Republican to win” in the state.
But he said, “I think this is going to be a Republican year, not just across the nation, but specifically in the state of Utah. And with Mitt at the top of ticket, it will be an even more Republican year in Utah.”
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