Utah Senate President Stuart Adams lost his primary election in June, but the donations didn’t dry up. His campaign hauled in nearly $120,000 in the month after his defeat.
From July 1–21, Adams’ campaign reported $117,600 in donations, according to the state’s financial disclosure site, with several large checks from real estate and development interests. They include:
- $25,000 from Building Construction Partners LLC on July 1, a Lehi-based firm that owns Flagship Homes.
- $25,000 from John Miller, founder and chairman of Dakota Pacific Real Estate, on July 21.
- $25,000 from David Layton, president and CEO of Layton Construction, on July 21.
- $2,500 from Florida-based GridLiance West on July 21. The company is pushing the High West Transmission Project, which aims to build a massive high-voltage power line connecting power generators in Utah and Nevada directly to the power grid in California, allowing them to sell excess electricity.
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Two big checks on July 21 came from people and companies tied to the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), which he chairs.
- Gershon Barnett gave $25,000. He runs Extell Development, the lead private company in MIDA’s Military Recreation Facility area that includes the Deer Valley Resort expansion. Barnett was among MIDA‑linked donors who poured $135,000 into Adams’ leadership PAC a week after MIDA approved a controversial 40,000‑acre data center project in Box Elder County.
- Dallas-based Dart Industries gave $10,000. The company bought 13 acres of prime real estate inside the Deer Valley MIDA project from Extell last October, and plans to build an Evermore Resort on the property.
Beyond the post-election cash, Adams moved another $55,000 from his leadership PAC into his campaign. He’d already transferred $45,000 in January. He also received $25,000 from the Utah Republican Senate Campaign Committee (URSCC), another PAC he controls. That PAC also gave $15,000 to his campaign in January.
In addition to the cash transfers, his leadership PAC also made more than $65,000 in in-kind donations to his campaign before the election, which paid for campaign advertising.
Why the six-figure fundraising effort after losing? It’s possible that Adams may be paying off campaign-related expenses. According to his most recent financial disclosure, Adams reported just over $119,000 in cash on hand a week before the election. Adams did not immediately respond to questions from Utah Political Watch.
Any outstanding primary expenses won’t be public until the current reporting period closes on Sept. 25.
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