SALT LAKE CITY -- Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign released a video on Tuesday morning, targeting Mormon voters and hoping to persuade them to vote for her in the November election.
The video, entitled "Mormons for Hillary," features members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and at least two Republicans from the state legislature: former Rep. Sheryl Allen (who also ran as a Democratic Lt. Governor candidate in 2010) and former Rep. David Irvine. Both are among the Mormons who have endorsed Clinton in one of the reddest of red states.
In the ad, they're reading from Clinton's book "It Takes a Village."
Watch the ad here:
"The Republican candidate appeals to me in no way whatsoever," Allen said in an interview with FOX 13 on Tuesday.
Allen said it was Clinton's lifetime of service and work for women and children that appealed to her as a Mormon woman.
"I just believe so firmly in her leadership abilities and life of service she's given, I have no difficulty whatsoever in advocating for Hillary Clinton," Allen said.
The ad's release is well timed following a weekend that saw Utah's Republican flag bearers abandon Donald Trump after taped comments were broadcast showing the GOP nominee making crude sexual remarks about women. Governor Gary Herbert, Congresswoman Mia Love, Congressmen Jason Chaffetz, and Rep. Chris Stewart announced they would not be voting for Trump after the remarks.
Only Congressman Rob Bishop and the Utah Republican Party officially have said they are sticking with Trump.
Former Utah State Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-North Salt Lake, in an interview with FOX 13's Ben Winslow. (Image by Eric Weseman, FOX 13 News)
But the impact of "Mormons for Hillary" may not be that big in Utah. The Clinton campaign has bought no TV ads in the Salt Lake City market, releasing only YouTube videos touting support for her.
Among LDS Republicans who have publicly dumped Trump, they have insisted they are not voting for Clinton. Rep. Love said Monday night she was considering third parties. So was Rep. Chaffetz.
"The Clintons have struggled in Utah since '92 when Bill Clinton took third in that election," said Morgan Lyon Cotti with the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. "There's just a long history of distrust and, honestly, dislike."
Lyon Cotti pointed out that Clinton is not polling well in Utah, even in the Democrat-friendlier Fourth Congressional District. Still, the strategy for Clinton may be to keep her name above the alternatives on the ballot.
"If she does keep that dialogue up of look at this very Republican state where the nominee should be polling at 60, maybe even 70 percent and he hasn't hit 40 yet, it keeps up that conversation and helps her cause," Lyon Cotti said.
