Mike Lee
He's neither its noisiest nor its best-known member, but Lee, 39, struck one of the Tea Party's first blows when he toppled Utah's Republican Senator Bob Bennett. A former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, he's the Tea Party hero most likely to enter the Senate in 2011.
Who is your political hero/inspiration?
I'm inspired by Ronald Reagan. He believed that the people — not the government — should hold the power. He once said that "As government expands, liberty contracts." I feel we need to return to the limited government principles that he adhered to.
What's your go-to political blog?
RedState.com has excellent contributors, and I have great respect for the site's editor, Erick Erickson.
If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
I would be practicing law in Salt Lake City.
What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
I would have to say the nation's deficit spending. Irresponsible decisions have lead us to a near $15 trillion dollar national debt, and our country simply cannot return to economic prosperity until this spending is reined in.
Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
If the outcome of this election is in my favor, I will be serving as a U.S. Senator for the great state of Utah.