US Rep. John Curtis wins Utah GOP primary for Romney’s open seat, while Gov. Spencer Cox also wins

By Hannah Schoenbaum, The Associated Press on June 25, 2024.

PROVO, Utah (AP) – U.S. Rep. John Curtis has won the Utah GOP primary for Mitt Romney’s open U.S. Senate seat, defeating one opponent who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and others who said they supported Trump’s agenda.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, meanwhile, is likely to win a second term after he beat his primary challenger on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old Curtis lost the official party nod at the state GOP convention but won as expected Tuesday after he qualified for the primary ballot by gathering signatures. That route to victory has become common for more moderate Republicans who do better in primaries when the state’s more muted Republican electorate gets its say.

Curtis is highly favored to win in November over Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970.

He has been compared to Romney for pushing back against hard-liners in his party, particularly on climate change.

Curtis defeated Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who was little known outside his Salt Lake City suburb before Trump’s endorsement gave him a boost. But Trump’s support was not enough to beat the more moderate Curtis in Utah, a rare Republican stronghold that has only half-heartedly embraced Trump.

The former president’s brash style and comments about refugees and immigrants do not sit well with many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church, who make up about half of the state’s 3.4 million residents.

Cox, a moderate Republican who took office in 2021, prevailed in the primary after he was booed earlier this year by GOP convention delegates, who tend to lean farther right. Utah’s more muted Republican electorate chose Cox over state Rep. Phil Lyman, a former county commissioner turned state legislator who espoused false claims of election fraud following the 2020 presidential election.

Cox will face Democratic nominee Brian King, a state representative, in November. The Republican incumbent is heavily favored to win in a state that hasn’t had a Democrat in the governor’s office since 1985.

Also Tuesday, five Republicans are battling for the open 3rd District U.S. House seat that Curtis is vacating to run for Senate.

In Utah’s 2nd District, Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy is seeking 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 specialist, who is endorsed by Romney’s counterpart, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee.

Primaries will be held Tuesday for other state and national offices, including the 1st District U.S. House seat, attorney general, state auditor, state Senate, state House and state Board of Education.

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