Sen. Orrin Hatch seems to have weathered GOP storm

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - It's been Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch's toughest challenge since first winning election in 1976, but the Republican incumbent seems on the verge of clearing a big hurdle to a seventh and final term.
   
His opponent in Tuesday's primary is former state lawmaker Dan Liljenquist, who's hoping to shock the political world with an upset.
   
But Hatch has let a healthy campaign treasury and other GOP leaders make his case for re-election.
   
Sensing he's far ahead in a state where the Republican primary winner is the heavy favorite in November, Hatch has carefully avoided any mistakes.
   
And he's picked up the endorsement of presidential candidate Mitt Romney, which is a big deal in Utah. Romney graduated from Brigham Young University and oversaw the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.