SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 11, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Independent candidate Evan McMullin is getting a little help from a galaxy far, far away in his U.S. Senate race against incumbent Mike Lee, R-Utah.
“Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill tweeted an endorsement Monday night for McMulllin, a former undercover CIA officer who ran as an independent candidate for president against Donald Trump in 2016.
“I like @EvanMcMullin SO much, it makes me wish I lived in Utah so I could vote for him,” Hamill tweeted.
On Tuesday, McMullin’s campaign announced a statewide volunteer kickoff event featuring the “Star Wars” star. Hamill is scheduled to join McMullin and his team over Zoom at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The actor will be interacting with McMullin, volunteers, supporters “and a few lucky Utahns who Hamill may call to rally support for McMullin statewide,” the campaign said in a news release.
I like @EvanMcMullin SO much, it makes me wish I lived in Utah so I could vote for him!*
*(FUN FACT: Brigsby Bear was filmed in Utah.🐻) https://t.co/eYnIV6W3nS
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) October 11, 2022
“I fully endorse Evan McMullin for U.S. Senate,” Hamill said in a statement released by the campaign. “Evan is a force for change at a time when our country desperately needs it. Utah is a great state and deserves far better than Mike Lee. Evan McMullin is the right man for this job — for Utah and for our country.”
McMullin celebrated the celebrity endorsement in a statement Tuesday.
“The Force is with us! As a huge Star Wars fan, I welcome support from a Jedi in this critical fight. I’m also grateful to Mark for his endorsement in this race. He recognizes how vital it is we bring change to Washington.
“Our politics are broken, and our leaders must be willing to find common ground in order to solve our mounting problems. This affects not only Utah, but the entire country. Our coalition of principled Republicans, Democrats and independents grows stronger by the day, and in November we’ll send better leadership to Washington for this state and for the nation.”
Hamill also retweeted McMullin’s Oct. 4 announcement that his campaign had filed a lawsuit against Club for Growth, “the shady special interest group backing Mike Lee,” the tweet states.
“They’re spending millions to smear our campaign,” the tweet continues, noting a “recent doctored ad was SO deceitful it’s starting to be taken off the air. We can’t let them get away with this.”
Recent polls show McMullin and Lee are locked in a tight race with Election Day just four weeks away.
Hamill, who portrays Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” saga, included an asterisk in his tweet about the U.S. Senate race: “FUN FACT: Brigsby Bear was filmed in Utah.”
Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kyle Mooney stars in the 2017 comedy he co-wrote with Dave McCary, with a cast that also includes Hamill, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Claire Danes.
