This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boise, Idaho • Independent U.S. presidential candidate Evan McMullin received a warm welcome during a campaign event in Boise.
McMullin and his running mate, Mindy Finn, spoke to supporters on Saturday at the Boise High School auditorium.
McMullin, a former CIA agent, has been surging in Utah recently, with polls showing him closing in on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
"I hoped someone else would get into the race" after Donald Trump got the Republican nomination, McMullin told the Boise audience, according to the Idaho Statesman. "Our leaders lack courage."
He said a Hillary Clinton win is what happens when you abandon your Republican principles.
He is only on the ballot in Idaho and 10 other states, but could have a powerful impact on the race.
If neither Trump nor Clinton gets enough electoral votes to win, Congress will be left to decide the next president, leaving the door open for a third party candidate.
McMullin's camp says almost 2,000 people turned out to his campaign events in eastern Idaho.