Orrin Hatch to face run-off in primary

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

/ Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

(CBS News) Orrin Hatch of Utah overcame Tea Party-tied opposition to advance his quest for a seventh term in the Senate, but did not perform well enough at the Republican Party's state convention to avoid a run-off election.

Obtaining 59.2 percent of the vote of delegates at Saturday's state convention, Hatch will face Dan Liljenquist, a former member of the State Senate, in a run-off on June 26.

Although the veteran lawmaker easily obtained 40 percent of delegates' support to advance, he fell a hair short of obtaining the 60 percent support of state delegates necessary to avoid a run-off.

Hatch was forced to fight a tough race as conservative activists continued their push to elect new members into Congress. Furthermore, the group FreedomWorks (run by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, which organizes the Tea Party) has been working to unseat Hatch.

After Tea Partiers ousted Hatch's former Senate colleague Bob Bennett at the state convention in 2010 with ardent opposition from activists, Hatch strategically began organizing to perform well at this year's meeting, at which the most activist elements of the Republican Party participate. Hatch also moved his positions to the political right in an attempt to secure his seat.

Hatch is the longest-serving senator in Utah, first being elected in 1976. Throughout his career, Hatch has a history of bipartisanship, including his work with his close friend, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, on health care.

Conservative activists point to Hatch's support of the auto bailout and TARP - the Wall Street bailout - as reasons to keep Hatch from serving a seventh term.

Since the rise of the influence of the Tea Party in 2009, Hatch has moved his positions to the right, becoming a vocal opponent of the president's health care bill, especially the individual mandate - a policy he had supported in the 1990s.

Hatch is expected to do well in the primary, in which a broader section of the electorate is able to vote, compared to the convention process, in which the most active Republican Party members participate.

[OnTheRoad01]

Getting rid of these people that have been running( read that ruining ) this nation would be one of the best things that we could as voters! Many of these politicians have been in office for way too long! They say that they want to help this country, but they are the ones that have put us we are now!

[VoteFacts]

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[AVERYCONCERNEDAMERICAN]

Hatch at 78 has done enough damage, to attempt to gain re-election at 78, will be 84 at end of term, is selfish ignorance!
New thoughtful progressive 21 st Century intelligence is gravely needed needed in the Senate for the sake of our founders Democracy!
Governance requires Compromise, Collective Bargaining and a Dedication to our founders Bill of Rights, Rights of We The People in a Democracy, ALL OF THE PEOPLE!

[No_I_Dont_believe_you]

Dick Armey is a Jack*ass, was a leader in the House only by title. He was exactly wrong as a congressman then and is exactly what is wrong with this country's politics now. A typical Texas political extremist, who doesn't like it if there are different political viewpoints within the republican party, he wants it only to reflect his view. His view is a take it or leave it approach, not an approach the overwhelming majority of the people of this country want. The tea party baggers need to go where any used tea bag goes, in the garbage.

[Tahuaya]

Six terms in the Senate is a very long time for someone to serve. I'm not sure I like the endless careers many members of Congress have.

Once someone is elected to Congress, they have little problem raising money for the next campaign and therefore they have a tremendous advantage against any possible opponent.

Therefore, even if a Senator or Representative is mediocre, they have a good chance of remaining in office.

My point is this: I think the time has come for term limits. A 30 year career is more than enough in the Senate and that would be five terms.

But, I have mixed feelings about this situation in Utah. I have also come to believe that the Tea Party is a major reason why Congress can get nothing done. They lead most of the other Republicans around like they have rings in their noses.

The worse part, they like to blame Obama for our problems and if anything, the Tea Party has refused to work with the president. I doubt any president could have worked with these jerks.

So I am for term limits but I also hope that Hatch wins his primary. I wonder if the Democratic opponent has a chance in Utah.

[AVERYCONCERNEDAMERICAN]

Our founders envisioned that citizens would volunteer to serve their government for a few years, for the benefit of all, then would go back to farming, plumbing, construction or their normal livelihood. They would make this sacrifice for the mutual benefit of all.
Today we have attorneys who seek to make governance their livelihood and to get generous health care and pension provisions.
The BIG PROBLEM with attorneys dominating government is they are trained to argue both sides of every issue without regard to TRUTH or FACT! Term limits are needed and a limit should be placed on attorneys representing the people, in the Senate and House.

[Fox_Rush_Zombie]

Funny.
Seems that any republican politician who wants to keep his/her job is required to change their stripes. Can't get re-elected unless they are intolerant and hate-filled.

Freedomworks (Dick Armey and Koch brothers' money) think they can 'take over the government' using wedge issues like abortion, gun control, gay rights, etc. I believe the majority of Americans have evolved from the ignorance of the past. There really aren't that many people left who believe Obama wants to take your gun or that Obama is a socialist, communist, marxist... space alien. Only the really crazy (card-carrying nuts) are left in that camp.

Oh, sure, the right wing propaganda outlets like Fox, Limbaugh, Beck, etc. still have a noticable number of people with lower IQ's goose stepping around and screeching. But even many of those poor creatures are beginning to wake up to the fact that what they have been yelling about is against their own best interest and the best interest of the nation.

What Dick Armey and the Koch brothers have accomplished is the destruction of the republican party. True conservative thinkers will move on and form a new political party while the republican party (tea party) rots from the inside and decays.

[modonnel22]

Well said. If Orrin Hatch isn't conservative for the Tea Party, they've really gone over the edge of sanity. If only Independents and moderate conservatives could form a new political party, I'm sure that they could easily compromise and negotiate solutions with Democrats -- leaving what's left of the Republican party insane and irrelevant.

[240_Gordy]

Don't sweat it. Orrin the hatch will land on his feet as a corporate lobbyist, write a book about his trials and tribulations as a misunderstood corporatist, and trash American ideals as he has done since he bought his first election. Think Mittulus Romnoid.

[JamminGeorge]

Orrin Hatch helped free a convicted drug Dealer (John Forte), that is not conservative nor is it in the best interest of our nation.
I guess I shouldn't say that or maybe Orrin will punch me in the face.

[OyVeyOyVey]

I think it is utterly shameful to see a Fine Statesman like Sen. Orrin Hatch done like this! What is wrong with you people in Utah these days? I can only hope wish and pray that Sen. Hatch survives this campaign and goes forward to another term in our U.S. Senate. He has always been a strong voice for True American Conservativism through out his long and distingished career and always a pragmatic man of reason yet never has lost sight of his TRUE Conservatives Principles. A FINE Gentleman, Statesman and someone who has always looked out for Utah's BEST interests for over 35-years! I know I wish I lived in Utah Sen.Hatch so I could vote for you come this here November, but all the same I shall still be rooting for you! Good Luck Orrin give them all the fight you got! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU FOLK'S IN UTAH! Just simply unbelievable if not plain out-out DISGUSTING!!!!

[stevex47]

nomnomnom, that's the sound of birthers eating birthers.