Evan McMullin seems to have a shot at winning Utah. | AP Photo McMullin: Winning a state would send a message

Becoming the first third-party presidential candidate since George Wallace to win a state could block either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump from winning the Electoral College, Evan McMullin said Sunday.

But that's only if the race is close, the independent candidate — who is polling strong in Utah — said on ABC's “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” No matter what, he went on, winning "would send a message about principles."


"If it isn't close, then it will be a strong message I think to Washington that people in this country, at least here in the Mountain West, and elsewhere in this country, still stand on principle, the very same principles that made this country the most powerful and prosperous on Earth," McMullin said.

"The reality is that the vast majority of Republican leaders are putting party ahead of principle and putting power over the interests of their own country."

In a recent Emerson College Utah poll (Oct. 17-19), McMullin led the traditional Republican stronghold state with 31 percent, compared to Trump who is at 27 percent and Clinton who is at 24 percent. There was a margin of error of 3.6 points.

Four years ago, Republican nominee Mitt Romney drew 73 percent of the state's votes; the GOP nominee has won the state in 15 of the last 16 presidential elections.

McMullin called for a new conservative movement dedicated to equality and criticized Republicans for alienating minorities. He said the party will have a civil war no matter what happens on Election Day.

"Right now you have a party in the Republican Party that turns away people of different races, turns away people of different religions," he said. "It's unlikely that the Republican Party will be able to make the kinds of changes it needs to make after this election. These are generational problems."