Sen. Mitt Romney’s decision to step aside “for a new generation of leaders” was praised as a noble act by some state officials — and for others, it set off a dash to be Utah’s next senator. His departure is expected to attract a crowded field for 2024.
A few names have already generated some heat, but you can scratch Sean Reyes, Utah’s Attorney General, off the list. He made the unusual announcement to say he would not be running. Instead, he said his decision would make room for another “great conservative, patriot and warrior.” This was widely believed to be Tim Ballard, who would later be publicly rebuked by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and face accusations of abuse.
Reyes later addressed the Ballard allegations and said he would no longer be endorsing anyone in the 2024 race.
In an October op-ed for Deseret News, Republican Rep. John Curtis of Utah's 3rd Congressional District said he believes elected leaders should be more concerned about doing their job rather than getting the next one. And leaving his House position to run for Senate "would leave a commitment unfilled. I want to finish the job." However, in a statement later given to The Salt Lake Tribune, that definite stance may be softening due to the "drumbeat from Utahns around the state asking me to reconsider my decision last month."
And reconsider he did. The news of Curtis jumping into the race broke on Jan. 2, 2024.
While Utah is a reliably red state, the biggest unanswered question is what type of Republican candidate voters will gravitate toward. Will it be someone in the conservative mold of Romney or more like Utah’s pugnacious senior senator, Mike Lee? The state primary election is set for June 25, 2024.
Here are the candidates (so far):
Rep. John Curtis - At first, it seemed that the 3rd Congressional District representative was committed to the House, but a groundswell of voices convinced the Republican congressman to reconsider. Curtis brings a formidable wealth of name recognition and experience in Washington D.C. to the race.
Brent Orrin Hatch - The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the son of the late Orrin Hatch will be seeking the same Senate seat that his father held for 42 years. Hatch is a trial lawyer who is treasurer and past director of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization that advocates interpreting the U.S. Constitution according to the context in which it was written. He described himself as “not a professional politician” in a statement through his campaign.
Robert Newcomb - Newcomb is a veteran and convert to the LDS Church in his teenage years. He is running for Utah's Senate seat under the banner of the Independent American Party.
Carolyn Phippen - A former staffer for Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Phippen is the executive director of the Freedom Front of Utah. In her Nov. 1 announcement on social media, she said she's "not a politician" but a mother of five boys who knows "what it takes to raise a family in Utah." Like others in the race, she's calling for a strong conservative leader to take Romney's place in the Senate.
Josh Randall - Randall is a certified public accountant and the audit manager at the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. In a post on Facebook, the Republican said he is running for Utah's Senate seat to “focus on strengthening families, encouraging us all to live and vote our religious values, and shrinking the government to operate under a balanced budget.”
John Robbins - Hailing from North Salt Lake, Robbins is a Republican.
Trent Staggs - The mayor of Riverton, Utah, jumped into the Senate race in May with an initial attack aimed at Romney. Staggs sees himself as a “proven fighter and conservative,” and tried to set himself apart in his announcement by saying he was “not a career politician or a Massachusetts millionaire.” After Romney decided not to seek reelection, Stags said Utah voters “want another Mike Lee. They want somebody who's going to stand up and boldly stand for conservative values.”
Chandler Tanner - Raised in rural Orangeville, Utah, Tanner is a Republican who describes himself as a "father, entrepreneur and believer in the American Dream." He is running with a focus on limited government, constitutional rights and the economy.
Clark S. White - The Republican of Smithfield, Utah, is among the candidates collecting signatures to get on the primary ballot.
Archie Williams III - Williams is the first Democratic candidate to step into the Utah Senate race.
Brad Wilson - Even before Romney’s announcement, the soon-to-be former Utah Speaker of the House was heavily rumored to enter the race and all but confirmed it when he announced on Sept. 18 that he would step down from the Utah Legislature in November. At a rally announcing his candidacy in late September, the Republican called himself a “conservative fighter” and said President “Joe Biden and radical leftists as well as ‘go along to get along’ Republicans are taking us down a dead end street.”
KUER’s Sean Higgins, along with the Associated Press, contributed to this report. This story will be updated as candidates announce their intentions for the 2024 Senate race.
