SALT LAKE CITY, June 25 (UPI) -- Republican voters in Utah turned out incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, instead backing a challenger who supports a crackdown on immigration.
With 93 percent of the precincts reporting, Cannon trailed Jason Chaffetz, a former chief of staff to Gov. Jon Huntsman, by 20 percent -- 40 percent to 60 percent, The Politico reported Wednesday.
Immigration was the hot-button issue behind Cannon's unpopularity with the district's Republican base, the Washington political publication said. Despite having a near-perfect score from the American Conservative Union, Cannon estranged immigration activists with his stance that illegal immigrants should be eligible for certain government benefits.
Chaffetz is all-but guaranteed to become the next congressman for Utah's third congressional district, one of the most Republican districts in the United States, The Politico said. The district, which includes suburban Salt Lake City and Provo, delivered 77 percent of the vote to President George Bush in 2004.
Cannon, a six-term congressman, is the third representative to be ousted during a state's party primaries. Two members of the Maryland delegation -- Democrat Al Wynn and Republican Wayne Gilchrest -- were defeated in primaries in February.
