UTAH COUNTY — Voters ousted key county government leaders in Utah, Salt Lake, Tooele and Beaver counties in Tuesday’s Republican primary election, but the highest-profile official rejected was Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie — who came out as gay last year in the conservative stronghold.
“Absolutely, my sexuality was part of the issue. There’s no doubt,” he said Wednesday, after going down to defeat by a 60.4% to 39.6% margin in early returns to former Marine Lt. Col. Tom Sakievich.
“I can’t tell you the number of hate emails I received. I didn’t make an issue out of it in the campaign because that’s not the kind of person I am,” he said. “But there is no doubt that the Eagle Forum [a conservative group] and its lies were absolutely in play here. The hit pieces it ran on my stance on abortion were completely false and it’s disappointing, but it’s politics.” READ MORE>>>
