Orrin Hatch’s Former Chief of Staff Endorses Mike Lee

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 13: Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah., questions Peiter Mudge Zatko, former
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Sean Moran

Matt Sandgren, the former chief of staff for the late Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), endorsed Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) reelection bid in an op-ed on Thursday.

Sandgren, a 15-year veteran of Capitol Hill, explained that Lee has been a consistent constitutional conservative that can be relied upon, whereas, Evan McMullin, the Utah independent candidate, remains a mystery:

I worked for Sen. Orrin Hatch for 15 years, as his senior counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee and then as his final chief of staff. Love him or hate him, you always knew where Hatch stood on the issues. He was a stalwart conservative who fought hard for the values Utah voters care about.

Mike Lee is the same way. You know where he stands. He’s a committed constitutionalist who has worked tirelessly to safeguard our values and roll back federal overreach. He’s been a soldier in the fight against the woke agenda that has consumed so much of our country.

…

McMullin’s positions on many key issues remain unclear. He describes himself as pro-life while at the same time criticizing the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs. He says he believes in federalism but has endorsed Democrat-led legislation that would result in a federal takeover of all elections. These are fundamentally contradictory positions. Is McMullin a conservative? A moderate? A liberal? I confess I’m not really sure.

Sandgren explained that if McMullin were elected, he would likely have no power as an independent. This is why he and other congressional experts such as Martin B. Gold have explained that McMullin would inevitably caucus with either the Democrat or Republican Party.
Sandgren remarked, “As a matter of simple reality, McMullin will end up having to caucus with one of the parties. But which one will it be? We don’t know. That should concern every right-leaning Utah voter.”

Sandgren concluded in his op-ed, “I know that’s who Mike Lee is. I know what he stands for. I know he will represent the values of Utah in the United States Senate.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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