Utah's Right Turn
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UTAH'UTAH'SS RIGHRIGHTT TURN: REPUBLICAREPUBLICANN ASCENDANCYASCENDANCY AND THTHEE 19719766 U.SU.S.. SENATSENATEE RACRACEE byby JaJayy LoganLogan RogersRogers A thesithesiss submittedsubmitted ttoo ththee facultyfaculty ofof TheThe UniversityUniversity ofof UtahUtah inin partialpartial fulfillmentfulfillment ofof thethe requirementrequirement forfor thethe degreedegree ofof MasterMaster ofof ArtsArts DepartmentDepartment ofof HistoryHistory TheThe UniversityUniversity ofof UtahUtah MayMay 20082008 CopyrightCopyright ©© JayJay LoganLogan RogersRogers 20082008 AllAll RightsRights ReservedReserved THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH GRADUATE SCHOOL SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Jay Rogers This thesis has been read by each member of the following supervisory committee and by majority vote has been found to be satisfactory. Chair: W. Paul Reeve 3-JI-IJr' THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH GRADUATE SCHOOL FINAL READING APPROVAL To the Graduate Council of the University ofUtah: I have read the thesis of Jay Rogers in its final form and have found that (l) its format, citations, and bibliographic style are consistent and acceptable; (2) its illustrative materials including figures, tables, and charts are in place; and (3) the final manuscript is satisfactory to the supervisory committee and is ready for submission to The GraduateSchool. ��/{-OS Date W. PaulReeve Chair: SupervisoryCommittee Approved for the Major Department Eric Htnderaker Chair/Dean Approved for the Graduate Council DavidS. Chapma Dean of The GraduateSchool ABSTRACTABSTRACT ThisThis thesisthesis examinesexamines thethe 19761976 UnitedUnited StatesStates SenateSenate racracee inin UtahUtah,, inin whicwhichh RepublicanRepublican OrrinOrrin Hatch,Hatch, a politicalpolitical novice,novice, defeateddefeated three-terthree-termm incumbentincumbent DemocraticDemocratic SenatorSenator FrankFrank Moss.Moss. ItIt exploresexplores Hatch'sHatch's victoryvictory asas parpartt ofof a statewidestatewide politicapoliticall shiftshift iinn favorfavor ofof conservativeconservative RepublicansRepublicans andand positionspositions UtahUtah asas a bellwethebellwetherr statestate atat ththee frontfront of of a broaderbroader regionalregional andand nationalnational shiftshift toto thethe right.right. DuringDuring thethe 1970s,1970s, leadersleaders ofof thethe majoritymajority religionreligion inin Utah,Utah, thethe ChurchChurch ofof JesusJesus ChristChrist ofof Latter-daLatter-dayy Saints,Saints, becambecamee increasinglyincreasingly outspokenoutspoken inin favorfavor ofof conservativeconservative positionspositions oonn socialsocial issueissuess suchsuch aass abortionabortion andand thethe EqualEqual RightsRights Amendment.Amendment. TheyThey expressedexpressed alaralarmm oveoverr ththee culturaculturall changeschanges associatedassociated withwith thethe liberalismliberalism thatthat emergedemerged ououtt ofof ththee 1960s.1960s. ThesThesee concernconcernss combinedcombined withwith a longstandinglongstanding distrustdistrust ofof federalfederal powerpower amongamong Utah'Utah'ss population,population, movingmoving thethe state'sstate's Latter-dayLatter-day SaintSaint (LDS)(LDS) votersvoters intointo ththee RepublicaRepublicann PartPartyy coalitioncoalition.. HatchHatch benefitedbenefited fromfrom thethe LDSLDS people'speople's skepticismskepticism towartowardd relativelrelativelyy liberaliberall DemocratsDemocrats suchsuch asas SenatorSenator Moss.Moss. TheThe RepublicanRepublican challengechallengerr portrayeportrayedd himselhimselff aass a devoutdevout membememberr ofof thethe churchchurch andand thethe candidatecandidate mostmost representativrepresentativee ofof "Mormon"Mormon values.values."" HeHe alsoalso tooktook advantageadvantage ofof thethe disillusionmentdisillusionment withwith governmengovernmentt thathatt developeddeveloped throughoutthroughout thethe nationnation inin thethe aftermathaftermath ofof VietnamVietnam andand WatergateWatergate.. HHee campaignecampaignedd ttoo reducereduce federalfederal spendingspending atat a timetime whenwhen manymany votersvoters struggledstruggled witwithh aann economiceconomic recessionrecession andand resentedresented thatthat taxtax dollarsdollars werewere beingbeing usedused ttoo supportsupport redistributionaryredistributionary federalfederal policiespolicies benefitingbenefiting minoritiesminorities andand thethe underclass.underclass. Hatch'Hatch'ss wiwinn waswas parpartt ofof a viable unusually partisan 1970s c -\oJ 5: w o all and political P an m realignment y o d strong early a m o 3 B contenders £L 3 ^<* 1980s. <jq 198 because o bec o 0 a toward c r3 oo The V3 Democrats ft H in Republicans Republican the a 3D o3 n> state. 8" o 13 §• lost I o go Party credibility throughout o v a3 Idominance I CL c o era with 3 the i—»• 3 Mountain LDS o r that I O emerged voters I < 0) o | CD 3West «-+ >-i oand SI ain . region ceased o 3Utah 3 c era <-f was oin to s- the be B' cr $late I FFo orr mymy parents,parents, whwhoo taughtaughtt meme toto cherishcherish educationeducation TABLETABLE OFOF CONTENTSCONTENTS ABSTRACTABSTRACT ............................................................................ iivv ACKNOWLEDGMENTSACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................... viiviiii INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION ..................................................................... 11 UTAHUTAH POLITICSPOLITICS ININ mSTORICALHISTORICAL CONTEXTCONTEXT ................................ 3 THETHE CANDIDATESCANDIDATES OFOF 19761976 ...................................................... 9 THETHE REPUBLICANREPUBLICAN PRIMARyPRIMARY ................................................... 2222 THETHE GENERALGENERAL ELECTIONELECTION ...................................................... 2277 REGIONALREGIONAL PARTISANPARTISAN REALIGNMENTREALIGNMENT ..................................... 4466 SELECTEDSELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................... 5544 ACKNOWLEDGMENTSACKNOWLEDGMENTS ThisThis thesisthesis wouldwould notnot havehave beenbeen possiblpossiblee withoutwithout thethe assistancassistancee anandd supportsupport ooff manymany people.people. First,First, I wouldwould likelike toto thankthank thethe membersmembers ofof mymy master'smaster's committee,committee, WW.. PaulPaul Reeve,Reeve, RobertRobert A.A. Goldberg,Goldberg, andand L.L. RayRay Gunn,Gunn, forfor theirtheir guidance.guidance. I alsoalso appreciateappreciate thethe numerousnumerous individualsindividuals whowho consentedconsented toto bbee interviewedinterviewed forfor thisthis paperpaper.. TheyThey provideprovidedd anan insiderinsider perspectivperspectivee thatthat helpedhelped meme toto understandunderstand UtahUtah politicpoliticss inin thethe 1970s.1970s. ThThee CharlesCharles ReddRedd CenterCenter forfor WesternWestern StudiesStudies atat BrighamBrigham YoungYoung UniversityUniversity provideprovidedd meme withwith a traveltravel grantgrant thatthat helpedhelped meme completecomplete researchresearch aboutabout regionalregional politicalpolitical developmentsdevelopments inin 1976.1976. ArchivalArchival materialsmaterials fromfrom thethe SpecialSpecial CollectionsCollections DepartmentDepartment atat thethe UniversityUniversity ooff Utah'sUtah's 1.J. WillardWillard MarriottMarriott LibraryLibrary werewere essentialessential toto thethe completioncompletion ofof thisthis projectproject.. I alsalsoo benefitedbenefited fromfrom thethe holdingsholdings ofof thethe UniversityUniversity ofof NeNeww MexicMexicoo PoliticaPoliticall ArchiveArchive,, ththee AmericanAmerican HeritageHeritage CenterCenter atat thethe UniversityUniversity ofof Wyoming,Wyoming, andand thethe NeNeww MexicoMexico StateState RecordsRecords CenterCenter andand Archives.Archives. AdditionalAdditional thanksthanks gogo toto MatthewMatthew Basso,Basso, WalterWalter JonesJones,, RoseRose Diaz,Diaz, MatthewMatthew Burbank,Burbank, NadjNadjaa Durbach,Durbach, W.W. LindsayLindsay Adams,Adams, JennyJenny Brundin,Brundin, MarciaMarcia Rogers,Rogers, andand WillWill Smiley.Smiley. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION InIn 1976,1976, a previouslpreviouslyy unknownunknown attorneyattorney namednamed OrrinOrrin HatchHatch ranran forfor thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates SenateSenate inin Utah.Utah. DespiteDespite havinhavingg nono politicapoliticall experience,experience, HatchHatch wonwon thethe state'sstate's RepublicanRepublican primarprimaryy andand wentwent onon toto defeatdefeat incumbentincumbent senatorsenator FrankFrank MossMoss inin thethe generalgeneral election.election. MossMoss hadhad eighteeneighteen yearsyears ofof senatorialsenatorial seniorityseniority andand heldheld a powerfulpowerful leadershipleadership positionposition withinwithin thethe DemocraticDemocratic caucus,caucus, yetyet UtahUtah votersvoters abandonedabandoned himhim forfor Hatch,Hatch, whowho hadhad onlyonly residedresided inin thethe statestate forfor sevenseven yearsyears prior toto thethe election.election. Hatch'sHatch's defeatdefeat ofof MossMoss signaledsignaled a significantsignificant shiftshift inin Utah'sUtah's politicapoliticall balancebalance ofof powepowerr duringduring thethe latelate 1970s.1970s. TheThe RepublicanRepublican PartyParty becambecamee dominantdominant inin statestate politics,politics, whilewhile thethe DemocraticDemocratic PartyParty declineddeclined toto minorityminority status.status. ThisThis statewidestatewide politicalpolitical realignmentrealignment occurredoccurred whenwhen conservatismconservatism waswas onon thethe riserise inin thethe UnitedUnited States,States, especiallyespecially