SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – The usual cohesion of voters in the conservative Republican stronghold of Utah has been blown up this election season by Donald Trump’s crudeness and volatility, creating unprecedented uncertainty in a must-win state for the GOP candidate.
Trump may still squeak out a victory to win Utah’s six electoral votes, but the state’s widespread aversion to the brash billionaire has soared following the release of a 2005 recording of Trump degrading women. An increasing number of the state’s mostly Mormon voters are considering casting ballots instead for third-party candidates Evan McMullin and Gary Johnson.
That opens the possibility that four presidential candidates could each earn 10 percent of the vote in the state, a rare occurrence in presidential elections. The result could be an improbable victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton if she captures just one-third of the state’s votes. Democratic candidates have achieved this level several times in the last five decades, but it was never enough for victory.
It’s difficult to see Trump losing Utah and still winning the White House. Even with Utah, he has a narrow path for capturing the 270 electoral votes in the state-by-state contest for the presidency. If he loses a state considered solidly Republican, that path may be effectively closed.
While Clinton may benefit from the disenchantment with Trump, she’s not the candidate getting a bump from Trump defectors. McMullin is the one enjoying a surge of attention. He’s a Brigham Young University graduate, former CIA officer, investment banker and congressional aide.