Evan McMullin: If Elected ‘I Will Not Caucus with Either Side’

Independent Utah Senate candidate Evan McMullin said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he will not caucus with either party if he beats incumbent Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on November 8.

McMullin said, “I am running as an independent. I’m building a coalition of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and members of third parties to better represent Utah and to help lead our country forward. And I’m not going to Washington to join a party or to caucus or to play the party power game. I’m going to represent our coalition, and that’s a commitment that I’ve made to our coalition that I’ll maintain my independence.”

Anchor Chuck Todd said, “All six years if you serve all six years the entire time you’re in the Senate, you will not join either party’s caucus, giving them officially your vote?”

McMullin said, “No, Chuck, I will not. I will maintain my independence. I will not caucus with either side. By the way, Chuck, I think that this will give Utah a added value of influence in the Senate that it just doesn’t have. Certainly we have in Senator Romney someone who has gotten a lot done for our state and country, working across party lines to get things done. With Senator Lee we get none of that. He sits on his hands until it’s time to vote no, and then he goes and complains about our country on cable news. I’m just not going to do that I think we’ve seen well enough over the past year or two especially that the senators in the chamber who are willing to act with greater independence, serving their constituents, standing up to party bosses, standing up to extremist factions and special-interest groups. They have more interest in the chamber they’re more influential than I think even the party bosses, and I want that for Utah and I know we’ll do a great deal with it serving this way.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN