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Posted: 3:17 PM- SANDY - Sen. Chris Buttars, who roiled the last legislative session with his "black baby" comment, has captured the Republican nomination against three intraparty challengers.

Buttars barely escaped a primary contest with the strongest of his rivals, Gary Armstrong. The two-term incumbent now goes on to face Democrat John Rendell in the November general election.

Armstrong did not challenge the discarding of a spoiled ballot even though, had it been added to his total, would have put him over the 40 percent mark to force a run-off.

But he expressed bitter disappointment at the race's outcome

"Our district can't survive four more years of Chris Buttars. I will support the Democrat," said Armstrong.

"I'm very surprised the delegates drank the Kool-Aid," he added. "I'm disappointed they have that little concern for the district."

Buttars said he was "absolutely shocked" at his rival's statement, adding, "He's a real party man, eh?"

As to close margin of his victory, he compared it to a basketball game. "One point or 50 points, it's a win."

But Buttars admits the campaign so far has been tough because of his racially charged comment earlier this year that prompted calls for his resignation from the NAACP.

"It's been five months of the 'hate Chris Buttars parade,'" he said. "I never took anything for granted."

Some of the delegate meetings held in recent days had barred Buttars from attending. But Republican Senate leaders have backed him all the way, issuing an endorsement letter praising him for standing up for principles that are important.

Buttars ignited a firestorm earlier this year when on the Senate floor he said of a school construction bill, "This baby is black, I'll tell you. It's a dark, ugly thing."

Buttars apologized but the NAACP and other critics have never forgiven him.

In another high-profile legislative race, former state Rep. LaVar Christensen made a big step toward reclaiming his old seat in the Legislature today by knocking out current Rep. Sylvia Andersen.

But other incumbents fended off intraparty challengers at the Salt Lake County Republican Convention today.

Sen. Mike Waddoups of Taylorsville and Rep. Greg Hughes of Draper both captured more than the 60 percent of delegate votes needed to clinch their nominations. Waddoups was challenged by Ronda Rose and Hughes by Margaret Bird.

But incumbent Andersen fell in her bid to hang on to her House seat in Sandy when Christensen claimed some 70 percent of the delegate vote.

Andersen is serving her first term. She was elected in 2006 after Christensen stepped down to run against Democratic U.S. Congressman Jim Matheson - a race that Matheson easily won.

Christensen, a Sandy attorney and developer, earned a reputation as one of the Legislature's most conservative members. He was a sponsor of the state's ban on same-sex marriage and more recently was involved in a lobby effort to this year to try to void Salt Lake City's domestic partner registry.