Hello and welcome to the FOX 13 News blog of the Utah Republican Party and Utah Democratic Party state conventions! Ben Winslow is covering the Utah GOP, while Mythili Gubbi is covering the Democrats. Scroll down to see what happened:
11:50pm-
The results from the final round of balloting in the U.S. Senate race:
John Curtis 30.36%
Trent Staggs 69.74%
Curtis, Jason Walton, Brad Wilson and Brent Orrin Hatch all gathered signatures to qualify for a spot on the June primary ballot.
And that's the Utah GOP convention! Thanks for following along!
-Ben Winslow
11:36pm-
Here's the results from the third round of balloting in the U.S. Senate race:
Jason Walton 3.46% ELIMINATED
Brad Wilson 4.86% ELIMINATED
John Curtis 24.67%
Carolyn Phippen 9.34% ELIMINATED
Trent Staggs 57.68%
There will be another round of balloting.
-Ben Winslow
11:11pm-
Here's the results from the second round of balloting for the U.S. Senate race:
Brent Orrin Hatch 1.74% ELIMINATED
Jason Walton 4.57%
Brad Wilson 5.56%
John Curtis 22.47%
Carolyn Phippen 11.71%
Trent Staggs 51.68%
Chandler Tanner 2.27% ELIMINATED
There will be a third round of balloting.
Oh, and Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson just announced the delegates who parked at City Creek Center should still be able to get to their cars after 11:30pm. Trax service is ending, but some delegates are offering to give people rides.
House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, made a motion to amend the agenda to kick some party business to next year. Proving her skills at whipping the vote, it passed the convention overwhelmingly.
-Ben Winslow
10:43pm-
Here are the results of the U.S. Senate race at the Utah GOP convention:
Brent Orrin Hatch 3.4%
Jason Walton 7.12%
Brad Wilson 7.69%
Jeremy Lewis Friedbaum .13% ELIMINATED
Brian Earl Jenkins .16% ELIMINATED
Josh Randall 1.49% ELIMINATED
John Curtis 21.70%
Carolyn Phippen 13.06%
Trent Staggs 42.64%
Chandler Tanner 2.61%
Headed into round two.
-Ben Winslow
10:20pm-
We're finally on to the U.S. Senate race! Brent Orrin Hatch (the son of the late-Sen. Orrin Hatch) begins by thanking the delegates for staying so late. He says he learned to "put America first" from Ronald Reagan. He puts on a Reagan-Bush ballcap and touts his conservative beliefs. But the response from delegates seems muted.
Jason Walton takes the stage, acknowledging that delegates "must be exhausted." He admits he has a strong distrust of politicians. He hits border security and debt in his remarks to the delegates, calling for investigations into the FBI, CIA and EPA and other "three letter agencies that make you want to say four letter words." Walton says mail-in balloting is a "joke" and he wants same-day voting. Delegates seem to perk up.
Brad Wilson says Utah faces a storm driven by Biden, Democrats and even "phony conservatives." He asks delegates to trust their future on a rock solid conservative. He says he's not running to "cozy up to the cronies in Washington." Wilson, the former Utah House Speaker, says he will stand with President Trump. He touts his work in the legislature on tax cuts, immigration, and lawsuits against the Biden administration.
Jeremy Lewis Friedbaum declares himself a "reluctant candidate and admitted delegate." He says he doesn't know why he filed to run and intended to support Tim Ballard before he was "politically assassinated." He announces he will get candidates to join in a lawsuit against Senate Bill 54, the law that allows candidates to secure a spot on the ballot via signature gathering (he says Frank Mylar will sue over it). Friedbaum then announces he will vote for Trent Staggs.
Brian Earl Jenkins (who looks a lot like Abe Lincoln) takes the stage and asks the delegates if America is a Christian nation? "Yes!" some delegates shout back. He says they need "heavenly help" and talks about how the Bible helped the Founding Fathers. He thanks the delegates for selecting their candidates and says representative government can probably only happen in a Christian nation.
"This is a big crowd!" Josh Randall says as he takes the stage, looking out at the convention hall. He admits he doesn't have political connections, characterizing himself as an outsider who won't do what the establishment does. "It's not that I can't spend money, it's that I won't," he says, calling for a "cultural shift." He says they have to persuade senators to make changes that America needs and he believes he can do that.
Congressman John Curtis takes the stage and acknowledges "trust is broken" in the system. He admits it took him a long time to decide to seek the office, but he believes he can make a difference. Curtis says he has solved difficult public lands issues, earning some applause from the delegates. He says there's a warrant for his arrest in China. "If you send me to the Senate, you know what you'll get," he says, urging the delegates to "choose the proven player." There's a mixture of cheers and boos from the delegates.
Carolyn Phippen thanks the delegates for "still being here at 10 o'clock at night." Phippen says to make change, it's going to take more than "rhetoric and political talking points." She says some things are complex. Phippen says they can't allow America to become vulnerable and that's the position we find ourselves in today. She calls on delegates to exercise their voice and vote and says if elected? She'd vote "most of the time" with Sen. Mike Lee.
Trent Staggs takes the stage to loud cheers from delegates. He says he got a phone call from President Trump who has endorsed him "totally and unconditionally." Delegates cheer. Staggs says he's already being attacked by the "D.C. swamp" because he's not a "foot soldier for Mitch McConnell." Staggs is animated, shouting "enough is enough!" Delegates around me clearly like Staggs. He says he'll push a balanced budget amendment and never vote for an omnibus spending bill, defund the U.N., and eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Delegates are cheering loudly.
Chandler Tanner says "last is the best of all the game." He thanks delegates for their service and talks about his life and career. He says he has experience, knowledge and credentials that would make him effective in D.C. Tanner says he is not a "career politician." He quotes Chris LeDoux by saying "too many fools making too many rules." He says he supports President Trump and his loyalty is to God, the Constitution and the Utah Republican platform.
Voting is now open.
-Ben Winslow
9:30pm-
After six exhaustive rounds of balloting, Mike Kennedy finally secures the nomination for 3rd Congressional District at 61.51%.
He will be the convention's nominee, but he faces these candidates in a primary who gathered signatures:
Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson says the U.S. Senate candidates have agreed to cut their time on subsequent rounds of balloting, to speed things up. A delegate makes a motion to cut all their speeches to one minute. When Axson says they are actually using more time to save time — and the rest of the convention hall appears to turn on the delegate — he drops the motion.
-Ben Winslow
9:13pm-
SIX ROUNDS OF VOTING! Mike Kennedy and Zac Wilson continue to another round. Kennedy couldn't crack 60% to win the convention nomination outright. He got 59.59% and Zac Wilson got 25.51%. With 14.9%, JR Bird was eliminated.
-Ben Winslow
9:11pm-
Because the Utah GOP convention has gone so long (we're at more than 13 hours now), Chair Rob Axson says he contacted City Creek Center which has agreed to keep the parking lot open for delegates to retrieve their cars — but only until 11:30pm.
-Ben Winslow
8:57pm-
Five rounds of balloting in the 3rd Congressional District race! Zac Wilson, Mike Kennedy and JR Bird head into another round. All other candidates have been eliminated in the rounds of balloting.
-Ben Winslow
7:38pm-
Here are the results for the 2nd Congressional District race:
Colby Jenkins 56.85%
Celeste Maloy 43.15%
They head to a primary.
-Ben Winslow
7:03pm-
As the Utah GOP convention drags on, party Chair Rob Axson has announced the delegates will hear 3rd Congressional District candidates while they count votes for the 2nd Congressional District candidates. Here are all of them:
-Ben Winslow
6:36pm-
Sen. Mike Lee took the stage to endorse Colby Jenkins in the 2nd Congressional District. That endorsement has changed the trajectory of the race. Jenkins is facing incumbent Congresswoman Celeste Maloy, who staged her own surprise win in the special election replacing retiring Congressman Chris Stewart. Jenkins called out Maloy's votes and fired up the crowd who chanted "Colby!" as he left the stage.
Congresswoman Celeste Maloy walked out on stage with her own endorsement: Congressman Burgess Owens. He spoke glowingly about her work for Chris Stewart and says she does the "hard lifting." Maloy, who was sworn into office only five months ago, told delegates she's traveled the district and listened. "You are sick and tired of overreaching federal government. So am I," she said. She told the delegates that she will not bow down to anyone, including "a senator" getting cheers from the delegates.
Ty Jensen withdrew from the race.
-Ben Winslow
6:25pm-
Results are in from the 1st Congressional District race, second round of voting:
Paul Miller 54.86%
Blake Moore 45.14%
Both candidates advance to a primary. It is a bit of a surprise, given Congressman Blake Moore's position in House Republican leadership.
-Ben Winslow
6:09pm-
Results are in from the 1st Congressional District race:
Paul Miller 33.56%
Blake Moore 45.29%
Derek Draper 21.15% ELIMINATED
There will be a second round of balloting.
-Ben Winslow
4:59pm-
Rep. Phil Lyman is obviously thrilled with the results, having knocked Gov. Spencer Cox out of convention. In an interview with FOX 13 News, Lyman thanked the delegates for their support and acknowledged he will face an uphill battle in the primary against the governor (who gathered signatures to earn a spot on the GOP primary ballot) and is "very popular" statewide. Lyman said he has treated his race like a football game, slowly advancing on the field and he wants to focus on the economy headed into the June primary.
Gov. Cox's campaign said he was not doing interviews, but is letting his convention speech — where he pushed back on delegates — speak for itself.
-Ben Winslow
4:40pm-
Results from the Utah Governor's race, second round of balloting:
Spencer Cox 32.46% - ELIMINATED
Phil Lyman 67.54%
Gov. Cox is eliminated as a convention nominee, having failed to achieve the 60% threshold required. But again, Gov. Cox gathered signatures and will appear on the June primary ballot.
-Ben Winslow
4:25pm-
Results from the Utah Democratic Party convention:
Caroline Gleich is the U.S. Senate nominee
Rudy Bautista is the Utah Attorney General nominee
Katrina Fallick-Wang is the 4th Congressional District nominee
-Mythili Gubbi
4:19pm-
Taking the stage again for the second round, Gov. Cox is greeted by more cheers than boos this time. He appears with Garfield Co. Commissioner Leland Pollock and other rural county commissioners who declares "he works for you!" The cheers and boos are mixed again.
Rep. Lyman takes the stage again to big cheers from the Utah GOP delegates. "You've been fed a lot of line about tax cuts," Lyman says, pushing back on Cox's talk of tax cuts. He says he wants to come out of convention with 60% (which makes him the official nominee).
Voting is now open for the second round.
-Ben Winslow
4:13pm-
Results from the Utah Governor's race:
Sylvia Miera Fisk .53% - ELIMINATED
Carson Jorgensen 25.80% - ELIMINATED
Scott Robbins .56% - ELIMINATED
Spencer Cox 28.86%
Phil Lyman 44.24%
There will be a second round of balloting.
Gov. Cox gathered signatures so he will be in the June primary.
-Ben Winslow
3:49p-
Voting is under way for Utah Democratic party delegates.
-Mythili Gubbi
3:43pm-
Utah Democratic Party officials tell FOX13 News that Brian Adams has notified them he plans to withdraw his candidacy with the Lt. Governor’s office on Monday.
President of the Young Democrats of Utah, Emma Fetzer, tells me the group found Adams’ views “concerning” and wanted to share his public messaging with more candidates. She also says that in uncontested races, it’s important to research candidates because they might not be vocal with their polices.
-Mythili Gubbi
3:38pm-
In the Utah Governor's race, Sylvia Miera Fisk tells delegates she has faced "hardship and unimaginable grief" with the death of her son that she blamed on fentanyl. She says she will "fight for a better future for your children" and ripped into the Cox administration for a number of issues, earning applause from some in the crowd.
Former Utah GOP Chair Carson Jorgensen took the stage telling the delegates "I told you I'd be back!" He tells the delegates that Utah seems to "drift a little bit more blue each year." He tells delegates to not vote for him "if you want to disagree better," a jab at Governor Spencer Cox's initiative on civility in politics. He says it's "pretend to disagree," and criticizes the governor saying Cox has decided to "pretend to be a conservative." The crowd erupts in cheers when he asks if they're ready for a "real Republican governor."
Scott Robbins says he's back from a Marine Corps deployment to Japan and decided to run for governor, criticizing Gov. Cox for his stances and policies and accusing him of taking money from "far left donors." Robbins calls Joe Biden a "traitor" who "belongs in prison." He says there's "sexual degeneracy in schools because the teachers union supports it." He calls for "racial harmony, the opposite of DEI."
Governor Spencer Cox walks out to loud boos from the crowd. "I love you guys," he quips. He announces he's going off script. He thanks his supporters then turns on detractors and starts noting the flipside of delegates booing incumbent candidates who go on to win. The crowd isn't having it as he tries to talk about his own credentials including pushing tax cuts, etc. "Maybe you just hate that I don't hate enough," he says, adding that what he loves about "real Utah Republicans is you are architects and not arsonists." The boos continue.
Rep. Phil Lyman walks onto the stage to loud cheers from the Utah GOP delegates. "It's good to be among friends!" he declares to the crowd. Lyman touts that he served jail time to cheers, saying he won't distance himself from it because he stood up for his community. He was jailed for protesting BLM road rules (before being pardoned by President Trump). Lyman hits on public lands, immigration and eliminating signature-gathering, earning loud cheers from the delegates.
-Ben Winslow
3:14pm-
Results from the Utah Attorney General's race, second round of voting:
Frank Demcy Mylar 59.76%
Rachel Terry 40.24%
They will both head to a primary. Again, Derek Brown gathered signatures so he will also appear on the June primary ballot.
-Ben Winslow
2:46pm-
Results from the Utah Attorney General's race:
Trent Christensen 9% - ELIMINATED
Frank Demcy Mylar 42.83%
Rachel Terry 31.47%
Derek Brown 16.70% - ELIMINATED
There will be another round of voting.
But Brown also gathered signatures, so he will appear on the primary ballot.
-Ben Winslow
2:36pm-
After hearing candidate speeches, Democratic party delegates voted quickly to approve those who are uncontested. That would include 2nd Congressional District candidate Brian Adams, who has been the subject of controversy after the Young Democrats of Utah highlighted social media posts expressing support for RFK Jr., criticizing Joe Biden, etc.
A delegate asked about the situation and Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis acknowledged Adams is their nominee. However, she told delegates, if he withdraws then the party can replace him as a candidate. If he wasn't advanced? The Democratic nomination would be unfilled. Some delegates said they want it in writing that he intends to resign. Another said that Adams will resign on Monday by notifying the Utah Lt. Governor's Office.
-Mythili Gubbi
2:23pm-
In the Utah Attorney General's race, Trent Christensen declares himself an "America First" candidate and vowed to "drain the Salt Lake swamp." He says people have already tried to take him out of the race with "rumors and bogus investigations" but he's still fighting.
Frank Demcy Mylar touted his credentials, saying he is the only candidate in the race who has practiced criminal law. He told the delegates about his family and declared he will "fight for girl's bathrooms and sports ... without any exceptions." He vowed to kick out the U.S. Department of Justice from the Davis School District (still under oversight following allegations of racial harassment).
Rachel Terry says "in Utah, we understand the Constitution" and vowed to defend state sovereignty. She said as a practicing attorney for 20 years, "I don't need training wheels." In a fiery speech, she vowed to "never be a puppet for the political establishment" and would push back on the federal government and big tech.
Derek Brown notes his former role as the Utah GOP Chair, then points out to delegates that he has been endorsed by Sen. Mike Lee. He vowed to stand up for Utah's rights in the courtroom and would "stay laser focused on the issues that matter to Utah" like border security, federal lands and protecting children.
Here's all the candidates for Utah Attorney General:
-Ben Winslow
2:04pm-
Results for the Utah State Auditor's race at the Utah GOP convention:
Ricky Hatch 51.31%
Tina Cannon 48.69%
They head to a primary.
-Ben Winslow
1:34pm-
U.S. Senate candidate Caroline Gleich gave a speech touting her "underdog" status in skiing and mountaineering and says she wants to do it again in the race. Laird Fezter-Hamblin began his speech by making bird sounds. Archie Williams was a no-show at convention.
In the Attorney General's race, the candidates touched on the troubles in Sean Reyes' administration. Rudy Bautista accused the AG of taking the "puppet" position of the legislature and governor. Dave Carlson said he would "restore honor" to the Utah Attorney General's Office.
Delegates at the Utah Democratic Party convention will hear speeches and then vote.
-Mythili Gubbi
1:30pm-
Huge cheers for Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, who introduces (and endorses) Ricky Hatch, the current Weber Co. Clerk-Auditor, who is running for State Auditor.
"And now for the race that you all came for: State Auditor!" he says to cheers from some in the crowd.
Hatch gives a very delegate-friendly speech, talking about his willingness to push back on federal demands and touting his endorsements from fellow Republicans.
"Fellow nerds unite!" Hatch jokes to cheers.
Tina Cannon walks out to Martina McBride's "Independence Day." She jokes that at under 5-feet, "I'm probably the smallest cannon you'll ever see."
"It's government's role to protect the rights of life, liberty and property endowed upon us by our creator," she tells the delegates, pledging to protect their pocketbooks, ensure transparency and become a check and balance.
Cannon says she has seen firsthand the problems with lapse financial oversight and vows to hold government to "the highest standard." She says she has not accepted nor solicited endorsements, prompting some loud cheers from the crowd.
-Ben Winslow
1:09pm-
In his speech to Utah Democratic Party delegates, candidate for governor Brian King called out incumbent Republican Governor Spencer Cox saying he is "complicit to the extremism in the state legislature." He also cited comments by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about straight ticket voting.
"We can move from being a red state to a purple state," he told the crowd.
-Mythili Gubbi
12:48pm-
As the Utah GOP starts to do a test of its electronic voting system, a few delegates in the crowd start to shout "paper ballot." One delegate takes the microphone to question the electronic voting and is shut down by Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson, who tells the crowd there is also poll watchers and the results will be printed and able to be audited by delegates who want to ensure their vote is counted correctly. There is also a "help desk" for people with questions about the technology.
-Ben Winslow
12:40pm-
Did you park your car in a fire lane? The Utah Democratic Party is pausing their convention at Cottonwood High School for a moment so some delegates can go move their vehicles.
-Mythili Gubbi
12:32pm-
Utah Democratic Party candidates are starting to vote on some of the contested races on the agenda. Party Chair Diane Lewis declined to comment on the situation with their 2nd Congressional District candidate, telling FOX 13 News that she will let delegates decide it.
Lewis announced that more than 123 Democratic candidates filed to run for office, more than previous years.
-Mythili Gubbi
12:26pm-
Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson announces an initiative to take back Salt Lake County, leaving no seat held by Democrats unchallenged. He also calls on Republicans to help those in Nevada and Arizona, including deploying "busloads of volunteers" to campaign for Trump and other Republican candidates.
He also tells delegates that the Utah GOP raised more than $900,000 for its operations (the most they've had in decades following years of infighting that often led to litigation and some big money donors halting their contributions).
-Ben Winslow
12:17pm-
Republican delegates just rejected attempts to move around the order of voting and any other tweaks to the agenda, quickly adopting it.
"We are very efficient here today and are making up for lost time," Utah GOP Chair Rob Axson says to cheers from the crowd.
But the biggest cheers came for the delegate who asked them to turn off the air conditioning (it is pretty cold in here)!
-Ben Winslow
12:02pm-
Preliminary credentials report from the Utah GOP convention: 3,842 delegates in attendance (which is a 95% turnout).
-Ben Winslow
11:50am-
“When the time comes to support our nominees, we don’t boo them off the stage," Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis just warned delegates.
She appeared to get emotional as she paid tribute to former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson, a prominent Democrat who died at age 84.
-Mythili Gubbi
11:34am -
House of Pain's classic "Jump Around" just started playing in the convention. Never did I expect THIS song at the Utah GOP convention!
-Ben Winslow
11:28am -
The Utah Democratic Party is settling down to business, beginning with a moment of meditation.
Earlier, when asked which Republican he'd prefer to face in November? Brian King, the Democratic candidate for governor, told FOX 13 News whomever the Republicans give him.
-Mythili Gubbi
11:25am -
After some delays due to credentialing (there are thousands of people here at the Salt Palace), the Utah GOP convention is finally settling down to get to business. Buckle up!
-Ben Winslow
11:01am -
Brian Adams appears to be a no-show at the Utah Democratic Party convention. His booth is empty and he hasn't been seen among delegates. Adams is the Democratic candidate for Utah's 2nd Congressional District. The Young Democrats of Utah on Friday urged delegates to reject Adams as a candidate over social media posts he made indicating support for RFK Jr., January 6 defendants and the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Because he is the Utah Democratic Party's lone nominee in that race, delegates can only vote to accept him as their candidate or leave the seat unfilled. If he is nominated and then resigns from the race, party officials believe they can nominate a replacement.
-Mythili Gubbi
10:09am -
Republican candidate for governor Phil Lyman has announced his Lt. Governor candidate, Layne Bangerter. Meanwhile, it appears the convention will start late as delegates are still in line to be credentialed before the program kicks off.
-Ben Winslow
9:45am -
U.S. Senate candidate Trent Staggs got an endorsement from former President Donald Trump who posted on his Truth Social site that the Riverton mayor is "100% MAGA and is running to fill The Mitt Romney, a Total Loser, Seat as the next Senator from the Great State of Utah!"
His campaign is wasting no time taking advantage of the endorsement, handing out printed out copies of the social media post to delegates and reporters. It also showed up on video screens at Staggs' booth.
-Ben Winslow
9:40am -
The Utah GOP convention is under way! There's long lines for delegates to check in, but candidates are making the most of it. Some are venturing into the lines to talk directly to delegates.
-Ben Winslow
