PROVO, Utah – Two moderate Utah Republicans won primary elections on Tuesday for U.S. Senate and governor against far-right candidates who are loyal to former President Donald Trump, the latest example of how Utah is a rare republican state This does not fully encompass Trump’s dominance of the Republican Party.
U.S. Representative John Curtis, who won the Republican Party primary by Mitt Romney’s vacant US Senate seatand Gov. Spencer Cox still support Trump and many of his policies, but have shown a willingness to advocate different positions on issues where they disagree.
Curtis and Cox defeated candidates who beat them at the party’s state convention earlier this year among far-right delegates. But in Tuesday’s primary, when Utah’s more low-key Republican electorate had its say, they easily won victories.
Their victories make Curtis and Cox heavy favorites in the November general election in a heavily Republican state.
A crowd of Curtis supporters gathered in a park in Provo erupted in applause when the race call came. The congressman hugged his children and grandchildren, many covered head to toe in “John Curtis for U.S. Senate” stickers, amid congratulatory phone calls from the U.S. Senator Mike Lee and other Utah officials.
“Tonight is a night to celebrate, but tomorrow we get back to work,” Curtis told the crowd. “Thank you for the best campaign in the history of the world.”
Curtis will face Democratic candidate Caroline Gleich in November in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970.
Romney said Utah will be lucky to have Curtis in the Senate.
“John Curtis is a man of honor and integrity who cares deeply about our fellow citizens and the future of our country. We need more leaders like him,” he wrote Tuesday night on the X social media platform.
Curtis, 64, began his political career as a city-level Democratic Party official before running for mayor of Provo as a Republican. He has been compared to Romney for pushing back against his party’s hard line, particularly on climate change.
Gordon Robinson and his wife Lynette Robinson celebrated just down the street from their Provo home, where Curtis was once a neighbor. The couple said they respect his environmental policies and his support for providing military aid to Ukraine as it defends itself from the Russian invasion.
“What I like about him is he’s willing to work across the aisle and commit to people,” Gordon Robinson said. “But he doesn’t waver on the issues that matter most.”
Democratic candidate Gleich, a mountaineer and environmental activist, said Tuesday that Curtis, who leads the Conservative Climate Caucus on Capitol Hill, is “not a moderate.” She accused him of favoring the fossil fuel industry instead of supporting policies she says are necessary to protect public lands, air and water.
In Tuesday’s primary, Curtis defeated Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who was previously little known outside his Salt Lake City suburb. Trump endorsement gave him a boost. But Trump’s support was not enough.
The former president’s bold style and comments about refugees and immigrants do not sit well with many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon Church, which represents about half of the country’s 3.4 million residents. state.
Even some voters who voted for Staggs, like Erica Goulding of Heber City, said they weren’t Trump fans but supported his Senate pick because they didn’t think Curtis was conservative enough.
Staggs’ campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday night.
Cox, a moderate Republican who took office in 2021, prevailed in the primary after being Booed earlier this year by Republican Party convention delegates. Cox defeated state Rep. Phil Lyman, a former county commissioner turned state legislator who pushed false claims of voter fraud after the 2020 presidential election.
After his victory, Cox said he was proud of Utah voters.
“Tonight we restore our faith in the Republican Party and our faith in the people of Utah. They don’t respond to lies, to invented conspiracy theories,” he said.
Lyman told reporters at his election night event that he would not concede until the results were verified.
Cox will face Democratic candidate Brian King, R-State Representative, in November. Utah has not had a Democrat in the governor’s office since 1985.
King congratulated Cox on his primary victory but said voters in November “will hold him accountable for his record.” He said many in Utah feel the state is going in the wrong direction and are struggling with the rising cost of housing and food.
“While Utah’s economy works for those at the top, everyone else is left behind – which has been typical during Governor Cox’s tenure over the past four years,” King said.
Also on Tuesday, state Sen. Mike Kennedy defeated four other Republicans fighting for the open 3rd District U.S. House seat that Curtis is vacating to run for Senate.
In Utah’s 2nd District, it was too early to call a race in which Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy seeks her first full term on Capitol Hill after winning a special election last fall. She faces challenger Colby Jenkins, a retired U.S. Army officer and telecommunications expert, who is endorsed by Romney’s counterpart Lee.
