republicans strongly opposed obama's 2009 economic stimulus package and 2010 health care reform bill. the tea party movement, formed in early 2009, provided a groundswell of conservative grassroots activism to oppose policies of the obama administration. with an expected economic recovery being criticized as sluggish, the gop was expected to make big gains in the 2010 midterm elections. however, establishment republicans began to see themselves at odds with tea party activists, who sought to run conservative candidates in primary elections to defeat the more moderate establishment-based candidates. incumbent senators such as bob bennett in utah and lisa murkowski in alaska lost primary contests in their respective states.