Hatch withstands tea party opposition, for now

(CNN) - Utah Republicans forced Orrin Hatch into a June primary for the US Senate seat he has held since 1976 as Hatch fell short of winning the party's nomination for a seventh term Saturday. Hatch came within 42 votes of winning the nominationposted at 4:21 pm on April 21, 2012 by Allahpundit. Weird rule out there: The delegates to the Utah GOP convention get first crack at choosing a nominee by voting on the candidates. If anyone gets 60 percent, he's nominated. If no one gets 607, 2011, file photo Republican Senator of Utah Orrin Hatch, 78, serving in his sixth term on Capitol Hill, calls on the president to kick start a dormant US trade agenda in Washington. Every handshake counts in Utah's unique nominating system,Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) will now face a Republican primary in his bid for a seventh term, following a vote of delegates at the state GOP convention, after

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