Evan McMullin
David McMullin | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1976 Provo, Utah, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Political figure, former CIA officer |
| Known for | 2016 independent presidential candidate, 2022 U.S. Senate candidate in Utah |
David Evan McMullin (born April 2, 1976) is a former officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and an American political figure. He entered the 2016 United States presidential election as an independent candidate and later ran in the 2022 United States Senate election in Utah.
Between 2001 and 2010, McMullin was employed as a CIA operations officer. Following this, he obtained an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, after which he spent approximately 18 months working in investment banking. From 2013 until 2015, he served as a senior national security adviser for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, then advanced to chief policy director for the House Republican Conference, a role he held until July 2016. He parted ways with the Republican Party once Donald Trump secured the presumptive nomination.
In the 2016 presidential race, McMullin campaigned as an independent candidate supported by Better for America, drawing backing from the "Never Trump" faction. Polls conducted late in the race showed him outpacing major party contenders in Utah, his home state, where he earned 21.5% of the vote and finished third nationwide with 0.5%.
Following his presidential bid, McMullin became an outspoken opponent of the Trump administration and publicly endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 election. He participated in efforts to establish a new center-right political party and co-led the May 2021 launch of the political manifesto "A Call for American Renewal" alongside Miles Taylor. In 2022, McMullin again ran as an independent for Utah’s U.S. Senate seat with support from the Utah Democratic Party, ultimately losing by ten percentage points to incumbent Republican Mike Lee in Utah’s most competitive Senate contest since 1976.
Early life and education
Born on April 2, 1976, in Provo, Utah, McMullin is the eldest among four siblings. His family relocated to a rural region near Seattle, Washington, where his father worked as a computer scientist and his mother operated a bulk food business from their garage. After finishing at Auburn Senior High School in 1994, McMullin dedicated two years to missionary service for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Brazil. Upon returning, he spent a summer working aboard an Alaskan fishing boat.
In 1997, McMullin enrolled at Brigham Young University (BYU), completing annual summer internships with the CIA throughout his studies. He also spent a year living in Israel and Jordan while volunteering as a refugee resettlement officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He earned his bachelor's degree in international law and diplomacy in 2001 and immediately began CIA operations officer training. After concluding his CIA career, McMullin completed an MBA at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2011.
CIA intelligence officer
McMullin’s entry into the CIA coincided with the September 11 attacks, which expedited his training and deployment process. Over ten years, he operated abroad as an operations officer within the National Clandestine Service, focusing on counterterrorism and intelligence missions across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. First deployed in 2003, he departed from the agency in 2010. His assignments included work in a strategically important southwest Asian nation pivotal to counterterrorism efforts.
Although specific mission details remain classified, peers commended his skill in recruiting extremists by establishing trust and utilizing human intelligence beyond traditional embassy settings. The U.S. intelligence community’s priorities at that time involved collecting intelligence on Taliban activities, supporting counterterrorism operations, and tracking al-Qaeda leadership. Toward the end of his tenure, McMullin operated undercover in Iraq where he engaged with business and government officials while gathering intelligence from terrorist contacts.
Professional background in business and congressional service
Following his departure from the CIA, McMullin obtained an MBA from the Wharton School in 2011. Subsequently, he spent around a year and a half working within Goldman Sachs' Investment Banking Division. In 2012, he volunteered for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, which led to his recruitment by Republican members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs seeking expertise in counter-terrorism. By 2013, McMullin was serving on the International Advisory Board of BYU’s Kennedy Center for International Studies.
During the 113th Congress, McMullin held the position of senior national security adviser to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. In 2015, he advanced to become chief policy director for the House Republican Conference under Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.). From this vantage point, he monitored the 2016 Republican primaries and began openly opposing Trump despite internal party pressures to remain silent. He resigned shortly before announcing his independent run for president in August 2016.
2016 presidential bid
On August 8, 2016, McMullin declared his independent candidacy for President of the United States in that year’s election. Initially encouraging members of Congress to run under the Better for America initiative, he ultimately decided to enter the race himself when no other candidate materialized. Positioned as a conservative alternative to Donald Trump, McMullin attracted backing from anti-Trump Republican donors as well as former affiliates of Better for America, a 501(c)(4) group focused on securing independent ballot access.
In September 2016, McMullin publicly denounced Trump as a national security risk aligned with Russian interests and condemned Russian efforts to spread disinformation targeting Western democracies. He also criticized Republican leaders who supported Trump outwardly but privately voiced concerns, accusing them of undermining constitutional principles. At a December rally, Trump later disparaged McMullin by nicknaming him "McMuffin."
Due to his late entry into the race, McMullin missed ballot access deadlines in several states and appeared on ballots in only eleven states, with write-in options available elsewhere. Lacking sufficient electoral votes to win outright, his campaign aimed to prevent either major candidate from securing a majority, potentially triggering a contingent election in the House under the Twelfth Amendment.
McMullin’s campaign launch coincided with the creation of the super PAC Stand Up America by Republican strategists Kahlil Byrd and Chris Ashby, designed to support his effort through advertising and grassroots organizing. On October 6, he named Mindy Finn—former Twitter employee and digital strategist for both the RNC and National Republican Senatorial Committee—as his vice-presidential running mate. Due to timing constraints, Finn did not appear on ballots; instead, a placeholder name was used.
Following the emergence of the 2005 Trump audio recording controversy, McMullin’s support surged significantly in Utah as Mormon voters shifted away from Trump. Analysts estimated his chances of winning Utah at between 3% and 10%. He ultimately finished third in that state with 21.5% of the vote behind Trump (45.5%) and Clinton (27.5%). He also placed third in Idaho with 6.7%. Nationwide, McMullin garnered 734,737 votes (0.5%), or 0.7% in states where he qualified for the ballot.
After the election concluded, McMullin expressed intentions to continue fostering a new conservative movement aimed at disaffected voters and possibly establishing a new political party. His 2016 campaign accrued approximately $664,000 in debt mainly due to legal expenses—a typical outcome for unsuccessful presidential campaigns—which he pledged to repay by 2022. During his Senate campaign in 2022, questions arose regarding whether funds raised would be used to address these outstanding debts.
Post-2016 Campaign through 2021
Following the 2016 election cycle, McMullin continued to be an outspoken opponent of both Trump and Putin. In a December 2016 op-ed, he criticized Trump as a danger to the foundational principles of American constitutional governance, accusing the incoming president of weakening democratic traditions such as peaceful power transitions, dedication to truthfulness, and protection against foreign influence.
In January 2017, McMullin, alongside his former vice-presidential candidate Finn, established Stand Up Republic, a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to monitoring and preserving democratic standards, constitutional integrity, and public engagement. McMullin emphasized the threat posed by "alternative facts," describing them as authoritarian strategies that endanger truth in the United States. In a February 2017 editorial, he cautioned that Trump's ties to Russia represented a national security concern and called on Republican members of Congress to insist on appointing an independent special counsel to investigate election meddling and potential Kremlin collaboration.
During the 2020 presidential race, McMullin supported Joe Biden rather than Trump, framing the election as a choice between liberty and oppression and underscoring the importance of prioritizing the nation's welfare above party loyalty. He engaged in preliminary discussions with former Republican leaders about creating a new center-right political party and co-led the May 2021 unveiling of the political declaration "A Call for American Renewal" alongside security analyst Miles Taylor.
2022 U.S. Senate Campaign
On October 5, 2021, McMullin announced his independent candidacy aiming to defeat U.S. Senator Mike Lee in the 2022 Utah Senate race. His campaign launch in the Deseret News stressed the necessity for leadership that fosters unity rather than division and focuses on Utah residents' interests instead of partisan objectives. He identified "our detachment from truth"—highlighting conspiracy theories, misinformation, and political polarization—as the foremost danger facing American democracy.
By March 2022, prominent Utah Democrats—including former Representative Ben McAdams and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson—had endorsed McMullin. In April, both the Utah branch of the American Solidarity Party and the Utah Democratic Party chose to support his independent campaign rather than field their own contenders. McMullin committed to caucusing with neither party if elected. Utah’s other Senator, Mitt Romney, maintained a neutral stance.
Although Senator Lee was generally favored—with polls indicating a modest single-digit advantage—the contest proved unusually close for heavily Republican Utah. McMullin was ultimately defeated by a margin of 53.2% to 42.8%, achieving the strongest result for a non-Republican candidate since 1976. Additionally, Lee’s vote percentage declined by 15 points compared to his previous election six years prior.
Political Positions
McMullin has consistently criticized partisanship and radicalism, arguing that such extremes fail to represent either Utah or the broader country; he identifies himself as an independent. He cautions that extremism poses a significant threat to effective American governance.
Economic Issues
McMullin advocates for free trade, emphasizing its positive impact on the economy. He was a proponent of the 1994 NAFTA agreement and the initial Trans-Pacific Partnership. His economic platform includes lowering both corporate income tax and individual income tax, alongside repealing the estate tax. Additionally, McMullin supports reforms to entitlement programs such as Social Security, suggesting measures like means-testing and increasing the retirement age.
Environmental issues
Acknowledging the scientific consensus on climate change, McMullin endorses greater funding for technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Foreign and national security policy
In relation to the Syrian Civil War, McMullin calls for international intervention to halt Assad's human rights violations and to encourage a negotiated resolution. He backs enhanced assistance to moderate Syrian opposition groups and has proposed establishing a no-fly zone over Syria to prevent aerial attacks.
While opposing torture, McMullin supports maintaining the operation of Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He criticizes the Iran nuclear deal, advocating for rigorous enforcement, tougher sanctions, and keeping military options available if Iran breaches the agreement or advances nuclear weapons development.
McMullin has voiced concerns that then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's rhetoric damages U.S. counterterrorism efforts by alienating crucial Muslim allies in the fight against terrorism. He also condemned Trump's perceived alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing Putin of destabilizing Western countries by exploiting divisions along racial, ethnic, and religious lines.
In 2014, McMullin played a key role in bringing Caesar—a former Syrian military photographer who revealed regime abuses through leaked photographs—to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He challenged State Department officials over attempts to restrict public access to this hearing.
Social issues
In 2016, McMullin supported reversing Roe v. Wade. Following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe, he expressed concern that ongoing abortion debates pose risks to public health and deepen national divisions. Identifying as "pro-life", McMullin rejects extreme stances that either ban all abortions without exception or oppose any restrictions. He favors allowing states to determine abortion laws, endorsing Utah's abortion trigger law as an initial framework. Nevertheless, he criticized "extreme" post-Dobbs legislation that prohibits all abortions and called for federal action to prevent laws restricting abortion access for rape survivors, travel bans for abortion services, and contraceptive prohibitions. McMullin stressed that improving support for women and families—including expanding contraceptive availability—helps reduce abortion rates. He committed to opposing nationwide abortion bans if elected. He has underscored areas of agreement between advocates on both sides of abortion rights and noted a decline in abortion occurrences across the U.S.
Regarding same-sex marriage, McMullin supports "traditional marriage between a man and a woman" but respects the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges affirming marriage equality, believing this matter is settled. Despite his faith-based views favoring traditional marriage, he accepts his mother’s same-sex marriage.
Additional domestic matters
Throughout his 2016 bid for the presidency, McMullin committed to selecting originalist jurists for the Supreme Court, inspired by the judicial philosophies of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. While advocating for enhanced border protection, he rejects broad deportation efforts, critiques immigration frameworks centered on family reunification, and emphasizes attracting skilled individuals whose talents support U.S. economic priorities. McMullin backed the Affordable Care Act's clause that prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage due to preexisting conditions but urged reforms that extend beyond the scope of ObamaCare. Furthermore, he favors empowering Medicare with the authority to negotiate prices for prescription medications.
Personal life
McMullin is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In June 2021, he wed Emily Norton, thereby becoming stepfather to her five children from a prior marriage; her late husband passed away from brain cancer in 2016. The family currently lives in Highland, Utah.