The 2024 Republican Nominating Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City provided a few twists and turns.
Nearly 4,000 Utah Republicans gathered on April 27 to pick nominees for this November’s top ticket races, including governor, retiring Sen. Mitt Romney’s replacement and the vacant 3rd Congressional District seat.
Lines wrapped around the building and others struggled to find the delegate credentialing booth in the expansive convention center, creating some initial snafus. There were similar complaints at some GOP caucus locations during the March 5 presidential preference poll.
State party chair Robert Axson said the process could be improved but things were taking just as long as previous nominating conventions.
Governor
In the nominating race for governor, incumbent Spencer Cox faced stiff competition from former state Chair Carson Jorgensen and Rep. Phil Lyman. Criticism from the more conservative wing of the Utah GOP has been the norm throughout Cox’s first term over issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, the pandemic and the budget. The governor faced loud boos and cheers from the mass of delegates throughout his four-minute speech.
“Maybe you just hate that I don't hate enough,” said a defiant Cox. “I am proud of my record and I'm going to defend my record as I take it to everyone in this state, all 900,000 Utah Republicans in our primary who will vote.”
In contrast, Lyman received loud cheers and a standing ovation from his supporters in the crowd. He leaned heavily into this arrest for leading an ATV protest ride on protected federal land in 2014. He was found guilty of illegal use of ATVs and conspiracy and spent 10 days in the Washington County jail. Lyman was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.
“All of us have a feeling of what it feels like to be in a prison. As I watched coronavirus roll out with the coronavirus task force, with the business lockdowns, it felt like a prison to me,” he said. “So you know what that looks like. I don't want to build prisons in Utah.”
After two rounds of voting, Lyman garnered 67.54% percent of the vote to Cox’s 32.46%. Jorgensen was narrowly eliminated after the first round alongside candidates Sylvia Miera Fisk and Scott Robbins.
“I want to tell you,” said Lyman. “I've been a county commissioner for eight years in San Juan County. I've been in the Legislature for six years. I've run a successful CPA firm. I have the resources to run the primary election, primary campaign. I have the most wonderful volunteers, grassroots people, on the planet. We've got the support. We can do this.”
Cox is the only Republican gubernatorial candidate who qualified via signature gathering, setting up a choice between Cox and Lyman, the convention pick, in the June primary.
Historically, delegates are more conservative than the typical Utah Republican. In a January poll, the most recent from the Hinckley Institute of Politics/Deseret News, Cox held a strong lead against his primary competitors, with 50% of respondents picking the incumbent.
At a separate nominating convention at Cottonwood High School, Utah Democratic delegates chose Rep. Brian King as their nominee for governor. He will head straight to the general election and will face whoever wins the GOP primary.
Attorney General
Four candidates sought the Utah Attorney General nomination after Sean Reyes announced he would not seek reelection. Derek Brown, a former state lawmaker and chair of the Utah GOP, gained the endorsement of Sen. Mike Lee. Brown previously served as Lee’s deputy chief of staff. But the endorsement made little difference among delegates. Brown was eliminated in the first round of voting, but will still appear on June’s primary ballot after gathering enough signatures.
After two rounds of voting, neither of the remaining candidates secured 60% of the vote. Frank Mylar won 59.76%, and Rachel Terry received 40.24%. That means there will be a three-way primary race among the Republican candidates for attorney general.
State Auditor
In the race for state auditor, neither Ricky Hatch, the current Weber County Clerk, nor Tina Cannon received the necessary 60% of the delegate vote. Both candidates will face off in the primary election.
