Today Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch failed to secure the 60% delegate vote needed to lock up the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate. He will face off against State Sen. Dan Liljenquist in a GOP primary. This is a huge victory for Utah Tea Party activists.
With 59.19 percent of the vote, Hatch fell just shy of winning the Republican nomination outright at the state GOP convention. Delegates gave Liljenquist 40.81 percent of the vote in the second round of balloting. Candidates need 60 percent of the delegate vote win the nomination without a primary runoff.
Hatch calls his loss a tremendous victory:
https://twitter.com/#!/mattklewis/status/193788013938098176
https://twitter.com/#!/billyhesterman/status/193795485310517248
Riiiiight.
Meanwhile, his staff is putting up a brave face:
https://twitter.com/#!/jbpoersch/status/193791456803164160
Twitter reaction ranged from happy to orgasmic:
https://twitter.com/#!/lakemillsright/status/193787795196743680
https://twitter.com/#!/nlasmus/status/193787592683175936
https://twitter.com/#!/jimgeraghty/status/193777462889558016
https://twitter.com/#!/ahh2fly/status/193779664664268800
https://twitter.com/#!/ToddKincannon/status/193797444214071296
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Kristina Ribali and @FreedomWorks deserve credit for helping force the primary.
https://twitter.com/#!/BatesLine/status/193789398356209664
How much did Sen. Hatch spend in his failed attempt to secure the nomination today? A lot:
https://twitter.com/#!/maggie82/status/193788397964378113
https://twitter.com/#!/DeanClancy/status/193782003093618689
To beat Hatch in the primary, Liljenquist will need to shore up his bank account:
https://twitter.com/#!/michellemalkin/status/193793282550145024
https://twitter.com/#!/DanForUtah/status/193793017159761921
Earlier Twitchy coverage here.
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