Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, a three-term incumbent hoping for a fourth, had his hopes dashed on Saturday when his own Republican Party ousted him in favor of two newcomers in a victory for tea party activists.

The final tally at the Utah GOP Convention this weekend placed businessman Tim Bridgewater and lawyer Mike Lee on the ballot for the state’s June 22 Republican Primary. The winner of the primary will face off against the Democratic candidate in November. Bridgewater received 57 percent of the votes, Lee received 36 percent, and Bennett’s third place showing at 27 percent put him out of the running.

Bennett had raised far more money than his opponents, more than $3.9 million in 2010 alone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Bridgewater had the second-highest total at more than $366,000–or less than a tenth of Bennett’s war chest, while Lee has raised a little less than $153,000.

Since January, Bennett has held six fundraisers, according to invites sent to Party Time. The most recent was a lunch with special guest Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, where for $2,000 political action committees could host the event, and for $500 individuals could attend. Bennett also held back to back to back fundraisers on March 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and another on March 10th.

This summer Bennett had scheduled his annual Flies & Drives golf and fly-fishing trip in Park City, Utah, the weekend of August 13-14. In January he held his Annual Winter Weekend at Park City where for $5,000 political action committees could sponsor the event or for $2,000 individuals could participate.

Party Time has no invites on file for Bridgewater or Lee. If you know of one, feel free to send it to us anonymously using this upload form.

Bennett missed a deadline to run as an independent but could run as a write-in candidate. However a spokeswoman for the Republican said that option was unlikely. Bennett is the first senator in Utah to fail to get his party’s nomination in 70 years, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

If you’re still in town, there’s a relatively cheap opportunity to schmooze chiefs of staff for several powerful GOP senators tomorrow at a “Dog Days of Summer Cookout” benefiting the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s offices.

The cost is just $100 per individual–a bargain compared to most fundraisers we document here at Party Time–and the attire is casual.

The chief-of-staff lineup includes Jackie Cottrell, who works for Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS); Rick Dearborn, for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL); Beth Jafari, for Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); Billy Piper, for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-TX); T.A. Hawks,  for Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS); Kyle Ruckert, for Sen. David Vitter (R-LA); Michael Schwartz, for Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK); Ryan Thompson, for Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK); David Young, for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA); and Matt Zabel, for Sen. John Thune (R-SD).