At Saturday’s Utah Republican Convention, Mitt Romney’s troops wooed delegates with free T-shirts, Twinkies and bottled water. State Rep. Mike Kennedy handed out stones — to help depict his run as a David vs. Goliath contest.
Delegates who liked the imagery of charging into battle with a David helped Kennedy finish first among delegates in the race for the seat of retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, 51 percent to 49 percent.
So the little-known state representative forced the famous former GOP presidential nominee into a primary — even though Romney outspent him $526,516 to $31,500. (It may also revive bad memories for Romney, because the last time he lost a U.