Ridgway is evicted from caucus meeting

Longtime Republican Party gadfly Mike Ridgway, who is challenging Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, was evicted from a Salt Lake County GOP caucus meeting Tuesday night at which he had hoped to regain his posts as precinct chairman and county and state delegate.

After he left, his brother, Keith Ridgway, was elected to all three positions and he was elected a county delegate.

Mike Ridgway was escorted by a sheriff's deputy from the District 2158 meeting held at the party's state headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City and chaired by James Evans, the party's Salt Lake County chairman.

Mike Ridgway, whose party posts had been taken away from him by the county party's central committee, said he moved to be elected precinct chairman, and he was supported by a majority of the people there, but Evans refused to acknowledge the motion.

Evans said he had not recognized Ridgway to speak, the motion was never seconded, "and when he called for a vote, he only had four votes, counting his own," out of the nine people present.

Mike and Keith Ridgway dispute that, contending more than four hands were raised.

Evans said Mike Ridgway continued to be disruptive and was escorted out of the building by a sheriff's deputy, who was on hand because precinct packets, containing tens of thousands of dollars, were to be delivered to the headquarters during the evening.

Party officials have complained several times over the past year that Mike Ridgway is abusive toward other party members and volunteers.