Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett announced Friday that he is endorsing former GOP rival Tim Bridgewater as his replacement.
Bridgewater and attorney Mike Lee will face off in the June 22 primary to replace Bennett, who was knocked off the ballot at the state Republican convention.
Bennett told The Associated Press that Bridgewater personally sought his endorsement while Lee did not.
He believes Bridgewater's business background will prove more valuable in the U.S. Senate than Lee's legal experience.
"I've known Tim Bridgewater for more than a decade, and I am impressed by the fact that he, like me, brings a businessman approach to political issues," Bennett said.
He added, "Most of my colleagues in the Senate are lawyers, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but when a legal approach dominates, practical solutions often get pushed aside."
Bennett said Bridgewater knows how to create jobs because he's done it -- "that's experience you can't learn from books, which we need in this time of high unemployment."
I've known Tim Bridgewater for more than a decade, and I am impressed by the fact that he, like me, brings a businessman approach to political issues.
–Sen. Bob Bennett
At the same time Friday, Lee announced he had the endorsement of business consultant Stephen R. Covey, author of "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and other books.
"I have spent my career teaching people the principles of leadership. Mike Lee is the kind of leader I believe the people of Utah want and need," Covey said in a statement.
"I've worked with presidents, senators, and congressmen from both parties, and trained and challenged them to engage with each other in creating third-alternative solutions to our nation's most significant problems and differences. Few have had the courage and tenacity to actually do it," Covey added.
Lee also has the support of former U.S. Rep. Jim Hanson, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and former Utah Gov. Norm Bangerter.
The Lee campaign released the results of an internal poll Friday showing he was leading Bridgewater 39 percent to 30 percent, with another third of Republican voters undecided.
Bennett said it doesn't take stock in primary polls "because it's hard to predict who will come out and vote," yet he believes Bridgewater is "slightly ahead" in support among Republicans.
The Lee campaign did not reveal how many people were surveyed for the poll by Wilson Research Strategies or its margin of error.
Bennett finished in third place in voting among the 3,500 highly conservative delegates to the GOP convention, but other polling showed he likely would have won the Republican primary if he had advanced to it.
Bridgewater and Lee both ran to Bennett's right and Republican primary voters tend to be more moderate than convention delegates. Bridgewater and Lee have relatively low name recognition among voters compared with Bennett, making his endorsement coveted.
Bennett said surrogates for the Bridgewater and Lee campaigns "sent out feelers" for his support, but it wasn't until Bridgewater paid a personal visit to his Washington office that he agreed to give one.
"If I had not been asked, I would not have pushed myself forward," Bennett said Friday. "But when he asked, it was the thing for me to do."
It has been difficult to differentiate Bridgewater and Lee on their policy differences.
In a debate Thursday, they again outlined similar policies on the need to reduce federal spending, remove perceived incentives for immigrants to enter the country illegally and to continue the federal government's war on drugs.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
