Utah Senate candidate Evan McMullin says he will not caucus with Democrats or GOP as polls tighten

Independent United States Senate candidate Evan McMullin said on Sunday's edition of Meet the Press that if he unseats incumbent Republican Senator Mike Lee, he has no intention of giving one party an edge over the other.

Conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin noted in The Washington Post that the race is close and that nerves are fraying within Lee's campaign.

"The air of desperation isn’t so surprising given recent polling. Last week, a Deseret News-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll had Lee leading by a slim margin of four points (41-37) over McMullin among likely voters, with a margin of error of almost 3.5 points. And on Thursday, a Hill Research poll conducted by the anti-Lee Put Utah First PAC showed McMullin with a four-point lead," she wrote. "The lead grew to six points when counting undecided voters who are leaning toward a candidate."

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McMullin, an ex-Central Intelligence Agency officer, is an outspoken foe of former President Donald Trump and his right-wing populist Make America Great Again movement. Lee, however, is a Trump loyalist. And in deep-red Utah, McMullin has emerged as a formidable alternative.

McMullin explained to NBC's Chuck Todd that if he wins, his legislative independence would be a boon across the political spectrum.

"I will not caucus with Democrats or Republicans. I'm going to maintain my independence because I think our country needs that, and certainly our state needs that. I've made that commitment. And for party bosses and others in Washington, they're going to have to figure out what this means for them," he said. "But I'm committed to maintaining my independence and that is what I'm going to do.

Watch below or at this link.

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