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Republican Ally Isom is seeking Mike Lee’s U.S. Senate seat

Ally Isom spoke with KPCW about why she's running for U.S. Senate.
allyforutah.com
Ally Isom spoke with KPCW about why she's running for U.S. Senate.

Utah Senator Mike Lee will face another challenger for the Republican nomination this summer.

State government veteran Ally Isom’s career has taken her from a grassroots organizer to a position as former Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s deputy chief of staff, communications director, and spokesperson. Now she’s seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Mike Lee.

Isom calls herself a “classic conservative” and prefers to not engage in the scorched-earth brand of politics an increasing number of politicians seem to be adopting. She told KPCW she’s been hearing more about issues that hit closer to home on the campaign trail.

“When I’m out talking to Utahns, I’m not being asked about those personalities or culture war issues," she said. "I’m hearing about water and growth and the things that really matter to everyday Utahns, the fact that inflation is growing and the average family grocery bill is getting to be burdensome.”

Isom added she’s been putting in the miles and getting to know Utah voters.

“I have launched what I call the ‘walk a mile tour,’ which is really that notion of walking a mile in someone else's shoes, where I’m visiting every community across the state," Isom said. "My pledge is to be in every town and city before the election.”

Lee has been one of the most conservative members of congress and a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. Isom, on the other hand, said she did not vote for Trump, and is calling for a “Republican renaissance” and wants to see her party return to one that is willing to negotiate and get things done.

“I have not voted for President Trump," she said. "I found my party was in a different place than I was. I understand why people supported Donald Trump. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand that and listen to them, but I just, myself, couldn't get there.”

According to election aggregator Ballotpedia, in addition to Isom and Lee, Benjamin Davis, Becky Edwards, and Tyrone Jenson are also seeking the Republican nomination to the Senate.

Candidates have until March 11th to file for this year’s election. The Utah Republican primary will be held on June 28th before election day on November 8th.

You can find the full interview with Isom here.

Sean Higgins covers all things Park City and is the Saturday Weekend Edition host at KPCW. Sean spent the first five years of his journalism career covering World Cup skiing for Ski Racing Media here in Utah and served as Senior Editor until January 2020. As Senior Editor, he managed the day-to-day news section of skiracing.com, as well as produced and hosted Ski Racing’s weekly podcast. During his tenure with Ski Racing Media, he was also a field reporter for NBC Sports, covering events in Europe.