Utah GOP choose Trump-backed candidate as nominee to replace Sen. Romney, but primary still to come

• The Utah Republican Party chose Trent Staggs arsenic its nominee to regenerate Mitt Romney successful the U.S. Senate.
• Staggs volition inactive contention against different apical contenders successful the June 25 GOP primary, including the much mean U.S. Rep. John Curtis and erstwhile Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson.
• Utah's mean Republicans are losing their astir salient fig with Romney's departure. The Republican superior could trial the worth of Trump's endorsement of Staggs.

The Utah Republican Party connected Saturday selected Trent Staggs arsenic its nominee to regenerate Mitt Romney successful the U.S. Senate, hours aft the section authoritative received erstwhile President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

While the endorsement carried Staggs done normal with much than two-thirds of delegate votes, that enactment whitethorn not construe to occurrence astatine the ballot box. The politician from Riverton, conscionable southbound of Salt Lake City, inactive indispensable look different apical contenders successful the June 25 GOP primary, including U.S. Rep. John Curtis and erstwhile Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson.

Republican Party nominations historically person had small bearing connected the decisions of Utah voters.

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Curtis, who is much moderate, and Wilson, a Trump supporter, already qualified for the superior by gathering signatures. The victor volition proceed to the November wide predetermination to look Democrat Caroline Gleich, a mountaineer and biology activistic who earned her party’s information earlier Saturday.

Staggs, 49, built his basal by calling delegates personally and courting the endorsements of Trump and galore of his allies nationwide. The embattled erstwhile president wrote Saturday greeting connected his Truth Social level that Staggs is simply a "100% MAGA" campaigner who knows however to halt inflation, turn the system and unafraid the U.S.-Mexico border.

Staggs was the archetypal campaigner to participate the Senate race, adjacent earlier Romney announced helium was not seeking reelection.

Riverton, Utah, Mayor Trent Staggs, a U.S. Senate campaigner endorsed by erstwhile President Donald Trump, addresses delegates astatine the Utah Republican Party Convention connected April 27, 2024, successful Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

"Let’s regenerate Joe Biden’s favourite Republican with Donald Trump’s favourite Republican successful Utah," Staggs said Saturday, criticizing Romney for being a mean who often has challenged Trump and different Republican leaders.

Staggs' strategy of aligning with the brash, far-right president does not warrant triumph successful Utah, 1 of the fewer reddish states that has been reluctant to clasp Trump.

Staggs protagonist Eric Buckley said helium is assured the endorsement volition beryllium good received by Utah voters. The Davis County delegate said that adjacent earlier Trump’s proposal helium already had chosen to backmost Staggs for being the archetypal to situation Romney.

"It was his stance connected the corruption successful D.C. that exists and his committedness to basal up against the mean Republicans and the Democrats pushing done their docket without immoderate benignant of resistance," Buckley said.

Curtis, 63, is expected to person broader entreaty among superior voters. He has been compared to Romney for pushing backmost against hardliners successful his party, peculiarly connected clime change.

Davis County delegate Jonathan Miller, who donned a "Team Mitt" shot cap, said Curtis is his prime due to the fact that helium has proven his willingness to enactment crossed the aisle to get results successful Congress.

Although Wilson, 55, did not gain Trump's backing, helium has endorsed the president's reelection bid and has promised to beryllium a "conservative fighter" connected Capitol Hill. His elaborate expo booth successful the normal hallway featured a tractor plowing done a heap of cinder blocks labeled the "Biden Agenda."

The astir 4,000 delegates overwhelmingly supported "convention-only" candidates specified arsenic Staggs and authorities Rep. Phil Lyman, who was chosen arsenic the party's gubernatorial nominee implicit incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox, for opting not to cod signatures. The signifier is viewed by galore arsenic circumventing the convention.

"That’s a inexpensive mode out," Cache County delegate Tim Lindsay said. "I respect a campaigner who respects the normal process."

Party picks besides were among the farthest-right candidates successful their contests. Delegates booed moderates specified arsenic Cox and Curtis arsenic they took the stage.

The politician laughed it off, noting that galore large leaders earlier him were booed astatine past conventions but won astatine the polls. Cox, who has qualified for the superior with signatures, pushed backmost against criticisms of his inaugural to trim governmental polarization.

"Maybe you hatred that I don’t hatred enough," helium said.

Political observers accidental Cox remains the apt favourite successful the primary. Lyman, his challenger, is simply a erstwhile region commissioner turned legislator champion known for organizing an amerciable ATV thrust successful protestation of a national onshore decision.

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The 2014 protestation thrust came aft national officials closed a southeast Utah canyon to motorized vehicles to support Native American cliff dwellings, artifacts and burials. Lyman argued the closure constituted overreach by the national government.

A justice successful 2015 sentenced him to 10 days successful jailhouse and 3 years of probation aft a assemblage recovered him blameworthy of misdemeanor amerciable usage of ATVs and conspiracy. He reminded delegates of his abbreviated condemnation conscionable earlier the ballot and pledged to proceed warring national overreach if elected.

The authorities party's 2 large factions — the farther-right Trump supporters and the moderates who are losing their astir salient fig with Romney's departure — are acceptable to proceed sparring astatine the polls this summer. The superior volition trial Trump's popularity successful the Beehive State arsenic helium tries to combat his mode backmost to the White House during ineligible proceedings including an ongoing hush wealth trial.