UT-02

Utah Blue Dog Matheson Wins Against Primary Challenger

Eric Kleefeld | June 22, 2010, 11:57PM

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT)

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), a Blue Dog who was forced into a primary as a result of his vote against the health care bill, has easily survived the challenge from educator Claudia Wright.

With 31% of precincts reporting, Matheson leads Wright by 68%-32%. At the state Democratic convention in May, Matheson received 55% of the delegate vote against Wright's 45%, short of the 60% threshold needed to be nominated without any primary at all in Utah.

But in the end, Matheson's incumbency -- and far superior war chest -- easily put him over the top against his more liberal challenger. It should also be noted that the district voted 58%-40% for John McCain in 2008, and 66%-31% for George W. Bush in 2004. So had Matheson lost his nomination to a liberal challenger, the district would have stood a strong chance of going to the Republicans.

UT-02

Utah Blue Dog Dem Matheson Forced Into House Primary

Eric Kleefeld | May 10, 2010, 2:46PM

Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT)

It was a busy political convention weekend in Utah, with party activists feeling restless. Over on the Democratic side, five-term Rep. Jim Matheson was unable to reach 60% of the delegate vote at his party's convention, forcing him into a primary for his house seat against retired high school teacher and adjunct college instructor Claudia Wright. And all this in the same weekend that saw Utah GOPers unseat their own incumbent Sen. Bob Bennett.

Matheson took 55% of the vote to Wright's 45% -- a stunning position for a nine-year incumbent. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Democratic activists were put off by the Blue Dog Matheson's instances of voting against the Democratic legislative agenda, with his vote against the new health care reform law as one example.

"You're angry about some of my votes," Matheson told the convention, which responded with what the Tribune described as ironic applause. "But I'm a Democrat and I'm here to tell you I don't run from that label because it's in my blood."

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