ST. GEORGE — Independent candidate Evan McMullin is in a dead-heat race for the U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Sen. Mike Lee.
St. George News asked the former CIA officer and national security adviser questions about his campaign via email. His answers are below.
Why do you think you’re the right candidate for the job and what issues are most pressing to you?
After Sept. 11, McMullin volunteered for the “better part of a decade” to work undercover “behind enemy lines” where he learned that America is a “beacon of hope across the world.” Because there is “significant division and extremism,” McMullin said he is working to “unite people on common ground to solve problems that threaten our future and our democracy.”
He said he is committed to putting Utahns and Americans first and “won’t answer to special interests or party bosses or extremist factions,” and he is committed to working across party lines to overcome major challenges.
“That is what Utah and our country need,” he said.
McMullin is focused on the following five priorities:
- To strengthen democracy and stand up to extremists.
- To lower health care costs.
- To reduce “reckless” government spending and inflation.
- To protect air and water.
- To Keep America safe.
With people struggling financially as a result of inflation, what do you think about federal aid packages and how effective have recent packages been in addressing it?
McMullin said the federal government has an “important role to play in curbing inflation,” adding that he’s been discouraged to see many recently passed spending packages are “purely party-line efforts,” and some bills passed during the pandemic included “significant spending that contributed to inflation.”
McMullin outlines seven steps that could “decrease inflation and stabilize the economy:”
- “Incentivize the return of critical manufacturing to America
- Reduce reckless government spending
- Encourage more Americans to return to work safely
- Raise domestic oil production and refining capacity
- Increase investment in more independent and cleaner energy sources
- Reduce or eliminate unnecessary tariffs
- Pass balanced-budget legislation.”
With water shortages and drought becoming a major concern in Utah, especially in the more arid southern regions, what is the federal government’s role in doing to secure water rights for the state?
“Every level of government has a role,” McMullin said. “I’m committed to taking on the impact of our changing climate and making serious investments to our water infrastructure at the federal level. We also need to greatly improve our conservation practices. We have a responsibility on all of these fronts and we’re going to have to work together in order to ensure that our communities have the water resources they need.”
Amid the many social issues being discussed in the country, such as gun legislation or gender identity, which do you think are most important to address for the everyday Utahn?
“Gun legislation is top of mind as we recently saw a bipartisan gun safety bill pass through Congress,” McMullin said. “Utah’s Sen. Romney led out on this legislation. As a former undercover CIA officer and a gun owner, I support the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and buy guns. As a father to five young children, I’m horrified by the scourge of gun violence in our schools. We can protect our children, keep the public safe, and still protect our Second Amendment rights. If we don’t work together to do this, the extremes on this issue will make it much worse. I support strengthening background checks and closing the gun show loophole.”
What are the most pressing issues concerning public lands and recreation and what would you do to address them?
“As Utahns, we have a unique responsibility to protect our beautiful state for ourselves and future generations,” he said. “Our public lands are one of our state’s greatest assets — they attract millions of tourists every year and help our companies recruit new talent and allow all of us to enjoy the wonders of these majestic places. If we destroy them, we will never get them back. It must be a priority. I believe we should work to help improve local involvement in the management of our public lands to maximize their benefit and sustainability.”
Details about McMullin’s priorities are available on his website.
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