SALT LAKE CITY — The candidates wanting to win Utahns vote for governor took the stage at Salt Lake Community College Wednesday night in debate.
Republican incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox, Democratic Party nominee state Rep. Brian King, and Libertarian candidate J. Robert Latham argued over a variety of issues including housing, power, education, transportation, and many others.
Two particular topics got candidates riled up and attacking one another.
Amendment D is on everyone's radar as a judge decides to rule whether or it'll go on the November ballot. Amendment D would override a Utah Supreme Court ruling on citizen ballot initiatives.
"This is deceptive, it's deceitful, and it something that every Utahn should come out to the polls in November and vote against," said Rep. Brian King.
"Representative King is right," responded Latham. "The language that President Stuart Adams and Speaker Mike Schultz put on there is deceitful."
Cox's stance on the amendment wasn't clear until post-debate with the press.
"I think on balance, it's worth supporting but it's close. I see why people are opposed to it," he answered.
Another issue that got candidates stirring: the presidential election.
"Our current governor for years went ahead and said openly, I though commendable, that he was not going to support Donald Trump," said King. "Then we see two months ago, a flip."
"What I have done is dedicated my life to depolarizing our country. I'm going to do everything I can to help [Trump], to help my party, to help Democrats, to help us come together," said Cox.
"What I heard is the gaslighting that we've been used to. The Utahns that are excluded from this conversation," said Latham. "That's responsible for why I'm on this stage."
There are other candidates on the ballot who did not debate Wednesday night because they did not fit the Utah Debate Commission's polling qualifications.
Candidates appearing on the ballot but not in the debate are Tommy Williams (Independent American Party) and Tom Tomeny (Unaffiliated). According to Ballotpedia, there are three others running as write-in candidates: Phil Lyman, Richard Lyman and Charlie Tautuaa.
