# Utah Political Watch
> Utah Political Watch: Independent political journalism covering Utah state and local politics. Fearless, reader-funded reporting holding officials accountable.
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).

## Pages
- [About Utah Political Watch](https://utahpolitics.news/about.md) - Utah Political Watch exists to hold every politician, bureaucrat, and power broker in Utah accountable—no exceptions, no sacred cows, no pulled punches. We answer to readers, not advertisers. We answer to the truth, not access. We don't bow, we don't flinch, and we sure as hell don't ask permission…
- [Archive](https://utahpolitics.news/archive.md)
- [Buy a Group Subscription](https://utahpolitics.news/buy-group-subscription.md)
- [Contact us](https://utahpolitics.news/contact-us.md)
- [Give the gift of fearless journalism](https://utahpolitics.news/gift-subscription-2.md) - Know someone who cares about Utah politics? Give them a subscription to Utah Political Watch. This isn't a gift card or a gadget they'll forget about in a month. It's a year of independent political journalism that holds power accountable. What They Get: * Full access to all our reporting and inves…
- [Give the gift of fearless journalism](https://utahpolitics.news/gift-subscription.md)
- [Group Subscriptions](https://utahpolitics.news/group-subscriptions.md)
- [How to support my work](https://utahpolitics.news/how-to-support-my-work.md) - Thank you so much for reading Utah Political Watch. I'd do this work for free if I could. Unfortunately, journalism costs money to produce. Your financial support allows Utah Political Watch to continue to exist. Do you value independent political journalism? You can support my work in two ways: th…
- [Choose a subscription plan](https://utahpolitics.news/membership.md) - Help keep Utah Political Watch running
- [Submit a news tip](https://utahpolitics.news/send-a-confidential-news-tip.md) - How to contact us securely Secure Email: tips@utahpolitics.news Signal: UtahPoliticalWatch.01 Utah Political Watch exists to hold power accountable, and we can't do that without people willing to share what they know. If you have information about corruption, waste, abuse of power, or anything else…
- [Welcome back](https://utahpolitics.news/signin.md)
- [Sign up](https://utahpolitics.news/signup.md)
- [Staff](https://utahpolitics.news/staff.md) - Publisher/Managing Editor Bryan Schott schott@utahpolitics.news (801) 205-8387 Editor Malissa Morrell mmorrell@utahpolitics.news
- [Subscribe](https://utahpolitics.news/subscribe.md)
- [Categories](https://utahpolitics.news/tags.md)
- [Terms of use](https://utahpolitics.news/terms-of-use.md) - By subscribing to Utah Political Watch, you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not subscribe. 1. Subscription Service Utah Political Watch provides subscription-based access to journalism, analysis, and commentary about Utah politics and government. Subsc…
- [Tip Jar](https://utahpolitics.news/tip-jar.md)
- [Authors](https://utahpolitics.news/writers.md)

## Posts
- [A Utah lawmaker's only opponent died. Now he's running unopposed.](https://utahpolitics.news/andrew-stoddard-unopposed-house-district-40.md) - Democrat Andrew Stoddard will keep his House District 40 seat by default after the Forward Party chose not to field a replacement candidate.
- [To beat Republicans, should Democrats just... not run?](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/democrats-independent-candidates-red-states.md) - In Montana, an independent is outpolling the Democrat in a three-way Senate race, but only if the Democrat drops out first. Election data expert G. Elliott Morris breaks down the strategy.
- [Sen. Cory Booker heads West to boost Utah Democrats](https://utahpolitics.news/cory-booker-utah-fundraiser.md) - The visit is a sign the state is "on the rise," according to Utah Democratic Party Chair
- [NAACP urges judge to dismiss DOJ's voter data lawsuit against Utah, citing 21 prior losses](https://utahpolitics.news/doj-voter-data-lawsuit-utah-naacp.md) - The Department of Justice’s scoreboard on its quest to force states to hand over voter rolls reads 0-21. The NAACP is telling a federal judge to make it 0-22. The DOJ sued Utah in February to force the state to turn over the complete, unredacted voter database, including full names, birthdates, add…
- [Mike Lee sees dead people](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/mike-lee-sees-dead-people.md) - We covered a lot of ground on the latest episode of Special Session: * Sen. Mike Lee's SAVE America Act is stalled in the Senate, so he's recruiting dead people to try to resurrect the bill. He invoked Charlie Kirk on social media this week, just a few weeks after doing the same thing with Lindsey…
- [Judge rejects Kalshi's bid to dodge Utah's anti-gambling laws](https://utahpolitics.news/judge-kalshi-utah-gambling-laws-ruling.md) - Utah just won a big round against prediction market operator Kalshi. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the company can’t hide behind commodities law to dodge the state’s anti-gambling rules. U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby ruled Tuesday that the Commodity Exchange Act does not preempt Utah from…
- [Why Utah has swung further left than almost any state since 2004](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/why-is-utah-turning-blue-data-explained.md) - In the latest episode of Special Session, BYU sociologist Dr. Jacob Rugh breaks down the data behind Utah's political shift, and why he doesn't think it's just about Trump.
- ['Under no circumstance': Sen. John Curtis says he won't vote to kill the filibuster](https://utahpolitics.news/john-curtis-filibuster-save-america-act.md) - President Donald Trump wants Senate Republicans to kill the filibuster so they can jam through Sen. Mike Lee’s SAVE America Act, a budget, and the rest of his priorities. Utah Sen. John Curtis says he won’t do that. “Under no circumstance will I support any effort to end or alter the filibuster,” C…
- [Is Utah sliding toward socialism?](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/is-utah-sliding-toward-socialism.md) - In the latest episode of "Special Session": Mike Lee picks another fight with Senate Republicans over the SAVE America Act. Lee is threatening to blow up the Senate's August recess. Texas Sen. John Cornyn tore into Lee during a closed-door meeting, calling his effort "nothing more than self-aggrand…
- [Stuart Adams hauled in $120K in campaign donations after his election loss](https://utahpolitics.news/adams-120k-after-primary-loss.md) - 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 sever…
- [Stop trying to make Spencer Cox happen](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/stop-trying-to-make-spencer-cox-happen.md) - In the latest episode of the "Special Session" podcast, we break down new federal filings showing that candidates and outside groups blew through $6.1 million on the Democratic primary in Utah's brand-new 1st Congressional District. Former congressman Ben McAdams won the primary election with almos…
- [$21,000 in missing donations and zero reported expenses: Davis County GOP's financial disclosures don't add up](https://utahpolitics.news/davis-county-gop-missing-donations-unreported-expenses.md) - The Davis County Republican Party (DCRP) is holding a special election to replace retiring County Surveyor Max Elliot, who is leaving after eight terms in office. To get on the ballot for the party delegates’ vote, candidates have to pay the party a $400 “filing fee,” which party leaders say helps…
- [The Davis County GOP wants $400 just to apply for a job most Republicans aren't even qualified to hold](https://utahpolitics.news/davis-county-gop-400-filing-fee-surveyor.md) - It’ll cost $400 just to ask Davis County Republicans for a job most people can’t even apply for. With eight-term County Surveyor Max Elliot retiring in September, the Davis County GOP is charging would-be replacements a $400 “filing fee” to appear on the ballot for a delegates-only special election…
- [The Democratic primary in Utah's brand-new 1st Congressional District cost $6.1 million](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-1st-district-democratic-primary-6-1-million.md) - Outside groups spent nearly $5.4 million on Utah's three congressional primary elections
- [Utah lieutenant governor asks judge to toss Trump DOJ suit for voter data, citing 0–16 record](https://utahpolitics.news/henderson-doj-voter-data-lawsuit-dismiss.md) - Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson wants a federal judge to toss the Trump administration’s lawsuit demanding the state’s unredacted voter rolls, arguing the Justice Department’s legal theory is 0-for-16 in courts nationwide. In a filing Tuesday, Henderson said courts across the country have rejected t…
- [The monumental fight over public lands in Utah](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/the-monumental-fight-over-public-lands-in-utah.md) - Utah's national monuments are shrinking...again. This week, President Trump signed an executive order drastically reducing the size of both the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments. It's the latest swing in a fight that's been going back and forth since President Clinton firs…
- [Rep. John Arthur on Utah's voucher mess](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/utah-voucher-audit-rep-john-arthur.md) - A new state audit of Utah's school voucher program uncovered "wasteful and extravagant" spending on things like high-end electronics, home gym equipment, trampolines and recreational gear. The record-keeping was such a mess that the state auditor's office had to build its own AI model just to sort…
- [Utah lawmakers hired a D.C. law firm to defend their repeal of Prop. 4. The tab: $1.86 million.](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-redistricting-legal-fees-prop-4.md) - The legal fight over Prop. 4 has cost Utah taxpayers nearly $2 million and counting for a case the Legislature has lost at nearly every turn. On Wednesday, Republican leaders at the Utah Capitol said they were shelving plans to push forward with a proposed amendment to Utah's Constitution that woul…
- [Mike Lee thinks you're stupid](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/mike-lee-thinks-youre-stupid-podcast.md) - Every time the white nationalist group Patriot Front laces up its khakis and marches through another city, Sen. Mike Lee shows up online with the same tired bit: they're feds, they're actually Democrats, it's all a hoax. He thinks it's clever or funny. It's neither, and on this week's episode of Sp…
- [Anti-Blake Moore ad blitz cost nearly $500K. It flopped.](https://utahpolitics.news/dark-money-blake-moore-primary-club-for-growth.md) - A shadowy super PAC poured nearly $500,000 into ads attacking Rep. Blake Moore in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, bankrolled almost entirely by Club for Growth’s super PAC and a dark-money group, and still failed to take down the three-term congressman. According to Federal Election Commission f…
- [A good day for journalism, and Mike Lee really, really wants that Supreme Court robe](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/a-good-day-for-journalism-and-mike-lee-really-really-wants-that-supreme-court-robe.md) - The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals just handed Utah Political Watch a major First Amendment victory, and this week's show breaks down exactly what it means. On Tuesday, the federal appeals court in Denver revived Utah Political Watch publisher Bryan Schott's lawsuit against the Utah Legislature over…
- [10th Circuit revives Utah Political Watch's press credential lawsuit against Legislature](https://utahpolitics.news/10th-circuit-revives-utah-political-watch-press-credential-lawsuit.md) - The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday revived Utah Political Watch publisher Bryan Schott’s First Amendment suit against the Utah Legislature over its press-credential policy, reversing a district court that threw the case out. A three-judge panel said Schott plausibly alleged he was de…
- [Utah Republicans paid thousands to hire MAGA influencers for fundraisers. The payoff was modest.](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-gop-maga-influencer-fundraisers-lincoln-day.md) - Utah Republicans shelled out thousands of dollars to bring a pair of MAGA internet celebrities to headline their Lincoln Day fundraisers this year. Financial disclosures show the returns were decidedly mixed. The Salt Lake County Republican Party tapped Nick Shirley to headline its March Lincoln Da…
- [Ben McAdams says the Utah GOP has gotten 'fat and lazy' and is heading for a reckoning at the ballot box](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/ben-mcadams-cd1-democratic-primary-utah-first-congressional-district.md) - Ben McAdams won Tuesday's Democratic primary in Utah's 1st Congressional District with a clear majority in a multi-candidate field. The former Salt Lake County mayor and one-term congressman now turns his attention to a November matchup against Republican Riley Own in a district where Democrats are…
- [Winners and Losers from Tuesday's Utah primary elections](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-primary-election-results-2026-winners-losers.md) - Utah voters had some things to say on Tuesday night, and their message wasn’t subtle. The most powerful Republican in the Utah Senate lost his seat. A conspiracy-minded county clerk appears headed for the exit. And once again, the signature-gathering path to the ballot saved candidates party delega…
- [Poll: Three Utah GOP incumbents in trouble ahead of Tuesday's primary](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-republican-incumbents-trailing-primary-poll-2026.md) - State Navigate survey shows Sens. Dan McCay, Brady Brammer and Rep. Jordan Teuscher trailing
- [Five days to Utah's primary election, and everybody's losing it](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/five-days-to-utahs-primary-election-and-everybodys-losing-it.md) - The June 23 primary is just around the corner, and this week's podcast is packed with what you need to know before you fill out that ballot. * ICE detention warehouse update: New NYT reporting says DHS is looking to offload the SLC warehouse it overpaid for. * Trump endorses Moore, Malloy, Kennedy:…
- [Utah's legislative primaries are drowning in PAC cash](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-primary-2026-pac-money-legislative-races.md) - Less than a week before Utah's primary election, Senate President Stuart Adams has more money in the bank than any other candidate on the ballot, and he may need every dollar of it as he works to fend off a stiff challenge to his bid for another term in office. The candidates running in Utah’s 22 l…
- ['Behold your little ones.' New ad scorches Stuart Adams over child rape law change and plea deal](https://utahpolitics.news/stuart-adams-attack-ad-child-rape-plea-deal.md) - A brutal new attack ad from a national pro-democracy group goes straight at Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, blasting him for helping change state law in a way that prosecutors later cited while cutting a plea deal for his step-granddaughter in a child rape case. Adams, who faces his first-ever…
- [What the latest campaign finance reports tell us ahead of next week's Utah congressional primaries](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-primary-2026-campaign-finance-fundraising-cd1-cd2-cd3.md) - The money math is brutal heading into Utah’s June 23 congressional primary elections. In CD2, Blake Moore has 32 times more cash on hand than his challenger. In CD3, Celste Maloy has 33 times more. CD1 Democratic Primary Ben McAdams has raised $1.91 million this cycle, spent $1.57 million, and stil…
- [Tracking the outside spending in Utah's congressional primary elections](https://utahpolitics.news/tracking-the-outside-spending-in-utahs-congressional-primary-elections.md) - PACs and other outside groups have poured more than $3.5 million into Utah's congressional primaries ahead of the June 23 election. CD 1 Total outside spending: $2,117,420 (as of June 11, 2026) * $2,117,420 supporting Ben McAdams CD 2 Total outside spending: $246,151 (as of June 11, 2026) * $118,27…
- [Update: Super PACs pour $2.8M into Utah's congressional primaries](https://utahpolitics.news/super-pac-spending-utah-congressional-primary-2026.md) - New Dems drop $1M ad buy for Ben McAdams
- [$1.8 million in outside money is pouring into Utah's congressional primaries](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-congressional-primary-outside-spending-2026.md) - In CD1, every outside dollar so far is backing former Rep. Ben McAdams, and there’s another $1 million ad blitz queued up to boost him. In CD2, Rep. Blake Moore is getting hammered by a shadowy super PAC that just popped up, while a centrist group tries to prop him up by mail. And in CD3, a seven-f…
- [Ben McAdams makes his case](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/ben-mcadams-utah-cd1-democratic-primary-interview.md) - Utah 1st Congressional District Democratic candidate Ben McAdams joins Utah Political Watch for a wide-ranging interview ahead of the June 23 primary election. McAdams, a former state senator, Salt Lake County Mayor, and one-term congressman, makes his case for why his track record on delivering re…
- [Chris Stewart's super PAC drops nearly $900K to back Celeste Maloy in Utah's 3rd Congressional District](https://utahpolitics.news/stewart-pac-maloy-cd3-utah-primary.md) - Former Rep. Chris Stewart’s super PAC just dropped nearly $900,000 to prop up Rep. Celeste Maloy in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, a race she barely survived two years ago. Maloy served as an attorney in Stewart’s office and then won the special election to succeed him in Congress when he abrup…
- [After a messy internal brawl, the Salt Lake County GOP sacks its vice chair](https://utahpolitics.news/salt-lake-county-gop-ousts-vice-chair-sarah-montes.md) - After months of infighting over a plan to endorse candidates in nonpartisan races, the Salt Lake County Republican Party ousted its vice chair, Sarah Montes, on Tuesday night in a unanimous move by the other elected party leaders. The party announced on social media that Chairman Mike Carey, Secret…
- [Michael Farrell wants to ban data centers and tax the rich. Can he win Utah's CD1?](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/michael-farrell-utah-cd1-democratic-primary-2026.md) - Michael Farrell is running as the policy-focused progressive in Utah's newly redrawn 1st Congressional District, and he's not shy about drawing contrasts with his primary opponents. In an interview with Utah Political Watch, Farrell argued that the other candidates in the Democratic primary are run…
- [Mystery PAC drops $35K in attack ads against Blake Moore. The money trail leads to an ally of Sen. Mike Lee's front door](https://utahpolitics.news/defending-conservative-values-pac-blake-moore-attack-ads-utah.md) - A newly formed super PAC is dropping nearly $35,000 on AI-generated attack ads targeting Rep. Blake Moore ahead of Utah's June Republican primary in the 2nd Congressional District. Despite an elaborate paper trail designed to obscure who's behind it, the money trail appears to lead to Dan Hauser, a…
- [Down 10 in his own poll, Nate Blouin calls on Democratic rivals to throw their support behind him](https://utahpolitics.news/blouin-poll-trails-mcadams-ut01-democratic-primary.md) - With three weeks until Utah’s 1st Congressional District Democratic primary, Nate Blouin is down by double digits to Ben McAdams in a poll his campaign paid for. He’s using those numbers to argue the other progressives should fall in behind him. The survey shows McAdams with 37% support (36% hard s…
- [Video: Nate Blouin is not playing it safe](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/video-nate-blouin-is-not-playing-it-safe.md) - Utah State Senator Nate Blouin is betting his congressional campaign on the argument that he's the only progressive in the Democratic CD1 primary built to actually win. In our interview, Blouin talks about his campaign commissioning an independent poll of the three-way progressive split in the race…
- [Conflict-of-interest flap leads to last-minute moderator swap in Utah GOP primary debates](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-gop-debate-moderator-swap-conflict-of-interest.md) - Utah’s newly retooled university-run debate series hit its first speed bump, prompting a last-minute moderator swap for two Republican congressional primary debates set for Monday. Natalie Gochnour, director of the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, had been slated to moderate th…
- [Video: McAdams needed to not lose Wednesday's CD1 debate. He didn't.](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/utah-cd1-democratic-primary-debate-2026-breakdown.md) - The four Democrats running for Utah's new First Congressional District seat shared the debate stage Wednesday night for the first—and only—televised face-off before the June 23rd primary. The verdict: Ben McAdams came in as the frontrunner and left as the frontrunner. McAdams didn't need to win the…
- [The Hater's Guide to Utah's primary election debates](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-congressional-primary-debates-2026.md) - Three debates. Five days. Zero guarantee that anything interesting happens. Welcome to Utah's 2026 congressional primary debate season. This is not a debate preview for people who think debates are a sacred civic institution. It's for everyone else: the people who watch these things waiting for som…
- [Podcast: Liban Mohamed is not here for the status quo](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/liban-mohamed-utah-cd1-democratic-primary-2026-special-session.md) - Liban Mohamed is 27 years old, the son of Somali immigrants—and he's running for Congress in Utah's 1st Congressional District. Last month Mohamed walked out of the Utah Democratic State Convention with 51% of the vote, defeating former Congressman Ben McAdams in the final round. It wasn't supposed…
- [Operation Gigawatt Summit sponsors gave $400K to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and GOP leaders since 2022](https://utahpolitics.news/operation-gigawatt-summit-sponsors-donations-spencer-cox-utah-republicans.md) - At least nine sponsors of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s Operation Gigawatt Summit in Park City have also poured more than $400,000 into the campaign accounts and PACs of Cox and other top Utah Republicans since 2022, including three separate $50,000 checks to Cox from the summit’s top-billed sponsor. The…
- [The three reasons John Curtis is almost certain to run for governor in 2028](https://utahpolitics.news/john-curtis-utah-governor-2028.md) - Curtis has a risk-free path, a billionaire donor, and the best name ID in the field
- [Podcast: We know a trial balloon when we see one](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/john-curtis-utah-governor-race-box-elder-data-center-special-session.md) - The 2028 Utah governor's race hasn't officially started, and it's already eating up a lot of attention in Utah politics. On this episode of Special Session with Bryan Schott, Bryan breaks down why Sen. John Curtis' interest in the governor's race could massively change the dynamics of a contest tha…
- [Utah GOP school board nominee quits race after dust-up with party officials over Facebook access](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-school-board-gop-nominee-quits-sabotage-allegations-salt-lake-county.md) - A Republican nominee for the Utah State Board of Education just dropped out and accused his own party of trying to sandbag his campaign. Party leaders say he’s confusing "sabotage" with a social media timeout. Michael Clara announced on Facebook last week that he was leaving the District 5 race, a…
- [Stuart Adams' PAC raked in $135,000 from MIDA-connected donors days after approving controversial data center](https://utahpolitics.news/stuart-adams-pac-mida-donors-data-center-approval.md) - Seven days after a powerful state authority chaired by Utah Senate President Stuart Adams signed off on a controversial 40,000-acre data center in northern Utah, five companies and individuals with business before that same authority dropped $135,000 into his political action committee all on the s…
- [Karianne Lisonbee challenges Blake Moore to multiple debates. Moore has little reason to show up](https://utahpolitics.news/karianne-lisonbee-challenges-blake-moore-to-multiple-debates-moore-has-little-reason-to-show-up.md) - Karianne Lisonbee beat Blake Moore at Saturday's Utah Republican convention, but she's still a decided underdog in the 2nd Congressional District primary race. Moore, a three-term congressman and House GOP leadership team member, heads into the June 23 primary with $2.4 million in his campaign acco…
- [Utah GOP-backed Prop. 4 repeal bid officially fails](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-gop-backed-prop-4-repeal-bid-officially-fails.md) - $4.3 million dark money push fizzles
- [Fact check: Has Ben McAdams taken 'hundreds of thousands' from the pro-Israel lobby?](https://utahpolitics.news/fact-check-has-ben-mcadams-taken.md) - Track AIPAC inflated McAdams pro-Israel donations by 58x, then changed its math
- [Republicans can vote in the CD1 Democratic primary election. Here's how](https://utahpolitics.news/republicans-can-vote-in-the-cd1-democratic-primary-election-heres-how.md) - Utah’s Republican primaries are closed. The upcoming Democratic primary in the new 1st Congressional District isn’t. Any voter, including Republicans, can cast a Democratic ballot if they ask for one. 55 days - Utah's 2026 primary election (6/23/2026) 188 days - 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) 9…
- [Video: The 2026 Utah congressional primaries are set. Here's what to watch](https://utahpolitics.news/video-the-2026-utah-congressional-primaries-are-set-heres-what-to-watch.md) - The state conventions are over, and the fields are locked in for Utah's four congressional primaries. The June 23rd primary is eight weeks away, and in some of these races, that may not be enough time for the underdog candidates to close the gap. Here are the key things to watch. CD1 is the marquee…
- [Utah GOP candidate sues after falling three signatures short of reaching the primary. The case could put nearly a dozen candidates back on June's ballot](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-gop-candidate-sues-after-falling-three-signatures-short-of-reaching-the-primary-the-case-could-put-nearly-a-dozen-candidates-back-on-junes-ballot.md) - A Republican candidate who fell three signatures short of qualifying for Utah's June primary is suing Salt Lake County election officials, arguing there’s a provision in state law that already puts her on the ballot—and could upend the entire signature-gathering system in the process. Lisa Dean fil…
- [Utah GOP convention: Celeste Maloy and Phil Lyman head to a primary. Blake Moore survives on signatures](https://utahpolitics.news/live-coverage-utah-gop-convention.md) - Follow along with live updates from the Utah GOP convention at Utah Valley University in Orem. Congressional District 3 The contest between Rep. Celeste Maloy and former state Rep. Phil Lyman promised to be the most competitive of the day. It lived up to that billing, going to a second round of vot…
- [Video: Why Nate Blouin's old posts could spell big trouble for his campaign](https://utahpolitics.news/video-why-nate-blouins-old-posts-could-spell-big-trouble-for-his-campaign.md) - Old message board posts from Nate Blouin exploded into the Democratic race in Utah's 1st Congressional District last week, and the fallout may be far from over. The posts, reported by Punchbowl News, included mocking attacks on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, jokes about sexual ass…
- [Podcast: Trevor Lee and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/podcast-trevor-lee-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-week.md) - Rep. Trevor Lee had a very, very bad week. He lost the Davis County GOP convention vote to Bob Stevenson. That came a few days after a website dropped with serious fraud allegations from two former employers. One features a signed confession of check fraud. The other involves explosive claims that…
- [Maloy locks in Utah 3rd District ballot spot; pressure shifts to Lyman](https://utahpolitics.news/maloy-locks-in-utah-3rd-district-ballot-spot-pressure-shifts-to-lyman.md) - Republican Celeste Maloy has secured a spot on Utah’s 3rd Congressional District June primary ballot, according to new signature totals released Tuesday afternoon. Maloy, who is seeking her second full term in Congress, is now safe from elimination at Saturday’s Utah Republican State Convention, wh…
- [Three takeaways from Utah GOP conventions: Lee's base cracks, Ivory catches a break, and more unopposed races](https://utahpolitics.news/three-takeaways-from-utah-gop-conventions-lees-base-cracks-ivory-catches-a-break-and-more-unopposed-races.md) - Three takeaways from Saturday's Republican conventions: Trevor Lee's convention loss exposes a structural weakness in his campaign; Ken Ivory avoids a primary, but the district’s numbers hint at a tighter-than-usual November; and the ballot is thinning, with more unopposed races. Trevor Lee's deleg…
- [Bob Stevenson tops Trevor Lee at Davis GOP convention; Lee squeezes into June primary amid fraud claims](https://utahpolitics.news/bob-stevenson-tops-trevor-lee-at-davis-gop-convention-lee-squeezes-into-june-primary-amid-fraud-claims.md) - Lee was defeated by Bob Stevenson at the Davis County GOP convention on Saturday, but he won enough support to advance to the June primary
- [Two of Rep. Trevor Lee's former bosses say he's a con man, and voters should know](https://utahpolitics.news/two-of-rep-trevor-lees-former-bosses-say-hes-a-con-man-and-voters-should-know.md) - A pair of Utah businessmen are making serious allegations of fraud against Rep. Trevor Lee, and the claims go well beyond political disagreements. In videos posted to the website Stop Trevor Lee, Moxie Pest Control CEO Jason Walton and his business partner Phil Nielsen allege that Lee manipulated c…
- [Utah 1st District race rocked by Blouin's old posts mocking Mormons, joking about sexual assault](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-1st-district-race-rocked-by-blouins-old-posts-mocking-mormons-joking-about-sexual-assault.md) - "Yikes!" One political consultant says Blouin torched his chances with a key group of voters he needs to win in Utah's only blue district
- [Andrew Yang thinks Utah is ready to break up with the GOP](https://utahpolitics.news/andrew-yang-thinks-utah-is-ready-to-break-up-with-the-gop.md) - The Forward Party co-founder came to Salt Lake City with a message for disaffected Republicans: there's a third option now.
- [Mike Lee's Supreme Court moment may finally have arrived](https://utahpolitics.news/mike-lees-supreme-court-moment-may-finally-have-arrived.md) - Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley says he intends to pitch Lee or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as a replacement if Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito steps down
- [Utah GOP's one-year purity rule takes down a congressional candidate](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-gops-one-year-purity-rule-takes-down-a-congressional-candidate.md) - The Utah Republican Party’s new one-year party purity rule just knocked a congressional candidate out of the race—even as Salt Lake County Republicans decided the same rule doesn’t apply to them. In March, party officials told retired Air Force Maj. Gen. David Harris, a 3rd Congressional District c…
- [2026 Utah congressional tracker](https://utahpolitics.news/2026-utah-congressional-candidate-tracker.md) - Keep track of who is running and who is gathering signatures with our chart and interactive candidate map. Additions? Omissions? Let us know.
- [2026 Utah legislative candidate tracker](https://utahpolitics.news/2026-utah-candidate-tracker.md) - Keep up to date with who is running for the Utah House and Senate with our 2026 candidate trackers.
- [McAdams vs. Blouin takes a sharper tone in Utah's 1st District](https://utahpolitics.news/mcadams-vs-blouin-takes-a-sharper-tone-in-utahs-1st-district.md) - The tone of Utah’s 1st Congressional District Democratic primary just grew sharper, with more to come before the state convention on April 25. At Saturday’s Salt Lake Democratic convention, former Congressman Ben McAdams and state Sen. Nate Blouin, the perceived frontrunners in the race, traded sho…
- [Kathleen Riebe drops out of congressional race, endorses Ben McAdams over 'volatile' Nate Blouin](https://utahpolitics.news/kathleen-riebe-drops-out-of-congressional-race-endorses-ben-mcadams-over-volatile-nate-blouin.md) - The race for Utah’s newly drawn 1st Congressional District got a little less crowded Saturday: State Sen. Kathleen Riebe exited the Democratic primary and threw her support to former Rep. Ben McAdams, taking a parting swipe at rival state Sen. Nate Blouin. Riebe announced her exit from the race at…
- [What to watch: Salt Lake County Dems decide who advances, who's done](https://utahpolitics.news/what-to-watch-salt-lake-county-dems-decide-who-advances-whos-done.md) - When Salt Lake County Democrats pack into Highland High for their nominating convention on Saturday morning, they’ll decide who advances to the primary election or the November ballot—and who goes home early. There are a handful of legislative races worth keeping your eye on. Today is the deadline…
- [Introducing the Utah Political Watch Legislative Race Ratings](https://utahpolitics.news/introducing-the-utah-political-watch-legislative-race-ratings.md) - Utah’s 2026 legislative elections are months away, but the battlefield is already taking shape. Today, Utah Political Watch launches district-by-district race ratings for every Utah House and Senate seat on the 2026 ballot. We analyzed eight statewide elections from 2016 to 2024, plus legislative r…
- [Podcast: Doxxing voters for the low price of $1,050](https://utahpolitics.news/podcasts/podcast-doxxing-voters-for-the-low-price-of-1-050.md) - Starting May 25th, Utah's voter privacy protections for roughly 300,000 registered voters will disappear. Your name, address, party affiliation, and voting history will be available for public purchase at the lieutenant governor's office for $1,050. To understand how we got here, you have to go bac…
- [Signature removals torpedo another Senate district in Prop. 4 repeal effort](https://utahpolitics.news/signature-removals-torpedo-another-senate-district-in-prop-4-repeal-effort.md) - The campaign to repeal Proposition 4, Utah’s 2018 anti-gerrymandering law, keeps backsliding. After dropping below the qualification threshold last week, new numbers Thursday show another hit: Senate District 12 slipped four signatures under the mark, pushing the repeal effort down to just 24 of th…
- [Two Utah Democratic incumbents came up short on signatures. Now their fate is in the hands of delegates on Saturday](https://utahpolitics.news/primary-fate-now-rests-with-delegates-for-two-democratic-incumbents-who-came-up-short-on-signatures.md) - Two Democratic legislative incumbents failed to collect enough signatures to secure a spot on the June primary ballot, which means their fate will be decided at the Salt Lake County Democratic convention on Saturday. Candidates can advance to the primary by gathering signatures or by winning at lea…
- [Utah Forward Party sits out 1st Congressional District race after delegates vote for 'no candidate'](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-forward-party-sits-out-1st-congressional-district-race-after-delegates-vote-for-no-candidate.md) - Utah’s Forward Party delegates voted to nominate no one in two 2026 races—including the newly drawn 1st Congressional District—leaving the party off the ballot. Delegates chose the “No Candidate at this Time” option over January Walker for the CD 1 nomination. Walker previously ran as the United Ut…
- [Salt Lake County GOP says party switcher rule doesn't apply because of one word](https://utahpolitics.news/salt-lake-county-gop-says-party-switcher-rule-doesnt-apply-because-of-one-word.md) - The Salt Lake County Republican Party says the Utah GOP’s new one-year party registration rule doesn’t apply to its county convention—because of one word in the state constitution. Last year, the Utah GOP added a bylaw requiring “a person seeking to run as a Republican candidate for partisan electe…
- [Poll: McAdams leads Democratic field in Utah's 1st congressional district race](https://utahpolitics.news/poll-mcadams-leads-democratic-field-in-1st-district-race.md) - Former Congressman Ben McAdams leads the Democratic field in Utah’s 1st Congressional District, according to new polling released Tuesday. The poll shows a familiar split: moderates line up behind McAdams, while progressives are rallying to support state Sen. Nate Blouin. The survey, conducted Marc…
- [Supreme Court strikes down Colorado's ban on conversion therapy. Utah's could survive](https://utahpolitics.news/supreme-court-strikes-down-colorados-ban-on-conversion-therapy-utahs-could-survive.md) - In an 8-1 decision on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Colorado’s ban on so-called conversion therapy for minors—the practice that claims to change a child's sexual orientation or gender identity that major medical associations have long condemned as ineffective and harmful. Utah…
- [Utah's new congressional map created 2.1 million 'orphaned voters.' Here's what that means](https://utahpolitics.news/utahs-new-congressional-map-created-2-1-million-orphaned-voters-heres-what-that-means.md) - Utah’s new court-ordered map scrambled the political equation for Utah’s Republican incumbents in Congress. More than 2.1 million Utahns are now “orphaned voters”—meaning their November ballots won’t include their 2024 Congressional incumbent. ⏰ Tick Tock 11 days - Deadline for Republican and Democ…
- [Less than 5% of Utahns signed petitions to kill Prop. 4. That's not a mandate.](https://utahpolitics.news/less-than-5-of-utahns-signed-petitions-to-kill-prop-4-thats-not-a-mandate.md) - After a wave of signature-removal requests sank the Prop. 4 repeal drive Thursday, Utah Republicans have been crashing out, insisting voters’ will was thwarted. The numbers say otherwise. Prop. 4 is the 2018 voter-approved anti-gerrymandering initiative that created an independent redistricting com…
- [Audit voids 168 late signature withdrawals, throwing Prop. 4 repeal a temporary lifeline](https://utahpolitics.news/audit-voids-168-late-signature-withdrawals-throwing-prop-4-repeal-a-temporary-lifeline.md) - The Republican-led push to repeal Prop. 4, Utah’s voter-approved anti-gerrymandering law, is clinging to the ballot by a few dozen signatures. On Wednesday, an audit threw 168 previously removed names back onto the rolls because the requests came in after the 45-day window, giving supporters a shor…
- [Utah GOP rule aimed at party switchers may knock a convention-only Republican off the ballot](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-gop-rule-aimed-at-party-switchers-may-knock-a-convention-only-republican-off-the-ballot.md) - A rule Utah Republicans passed last year to keep last‑minute party switchers from running as “Republicans” now threatens to knock a GOP hopeful off the ballot and gift her opponent the party’s nomination in a state school board race. In February 2025, the Utah Republican Party’s State Central Commi…
- [One more bad day and the Prop. 4 repeal misses the ballot](https://utahpolitics.news/one-more-bad-day-and-the-prop-4-repeal-misses-the-ballot.md) - Utah’s Prop. 4 repeal is hanging by a thread. A steady drip of signature removals has the Republican-led effort to undo the state’s voter-approved anti-gerrymandering law on the edge of missing November’s ballot. Utahns for Representative Government (UFRG) wants voters to repeal Prop. 4, the 2018 b…
- [Prop. 4 repeal campaign teetering as signature removals pile up in five Senate districts](https://utahpolitics.news/prop-4-repeal-campaign-teetering-as-signature-removals-pile-up-in-five-senate-districts.md) - Whether Utah’s Prop 4 repeal makes the November ballot now hinges on razor-thin signature surpluses in a handful of state Senate districts. The Republican-led effort would put a repeal of Prop. 4, the anti-gerrymandering law approved by voters in 2018, on November’s ballot. Repeal backers have hit…
- [Rep. Jefferson Burton heads for the exit](https://utahpolitics.news/rep-jefferson-burton-heads-for-the-exit.md) - Two-term Republican Rep. Jefferson Burton is bowing out of his re‑election bid, saying he’s moving outside the Utah House district he’s represented since 2023. He announced the decision on Facebook on Monday. ⏰ Tick Tock Neighborhood caucus night is tonight. (3/17/2026) 25 days - Utah Forward Party…
- [GOP group drops lawsuit targeting Prop. 4 signature removals](https://utahpolitics.news/gop-group-drops-lawsuit-targeting-prop-4-signature-removals.md) - Utahns for Representative Government (UFRG)—the Republican-led group pushing to repeal Prop. 4, Utah’s voter‑approved anti‑gerrymandering law—abruptly dropped its lawsuit aiming to stop the coordinated campaign urging voters to pull their names off the repeal petitions. UFRG has gathered enough raw…
- [Republicans got the Prop. 4 repeal on the ballot. Democrats and independents could knock it off](https://utahpolitics.news/republicans-got-the-prop-4-repeal-on-the-ballot-democrats-and-independents-could-knock-it-off.md) - Registered Republicans powered the Prop. 4 repeal petition across the line. Irony alert: Democrats and independents may be the ones who keep it off the 2026 ballot. Prop. 4 is the anti-gerrymandering law passed by voters in 2018. As of Thursday morning, Utahns for Representative Government (UFRG),…
- [Karianne Lisonbee challenges Blake Moore in 2nd Congressional District redistricting rumble](https://utahpolitics.news/karianne-lisonbee-challenges-blake-moore-in-2nd-congressional-district-redistricting-rumble.md) - As first reported by Utah Political Watch last week, Utah state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, is jumping into the 2nd Congressional District Republican primary, taking aim at Rep. Blake Moore over his role in Utah’s anti‑gerrymandering fight. She announced her bid on social media Tuesday. T…
- [Salt Lake GOP books MAGA influencer Nick Shirley for $10K-a-table fundraiser after Kari Lake said no](https://utahpolitics.news/salt-lake-gop-books-maga-influencer-nick-shirley-for-10k-a-table-fundraiser-after-kari-lake-said-no.md) - After striking out on their first choice, the Salt Lake County GOP is settling for MAGA influencer Nick Shirley, best known for videos peddling unverified, sensational fraud claims, as the headliner for their March 21 Lincoln Day fundraiser. Their dream date was Kari Lake, the twice-failed Arizona…
- [GOP's midnight heist to split Salt Lake County was five seconds too late](https://utahpolitics.news/gops-midnight-heist-to-split-salt-lake-county-was-five-seconds-too-late.md) - On the final night of the 2026 Utah Legislature, the Republican majority rammed through a bill to split the state’s largest and most Democratic county in two. Just one problem: they did it five seconds past the constitutional deadline. HB212 from Rep. Jordan Teusher, R-South Jordan, lowers the barr…
- [Sorting out the Utah GOP congressional field: Lisonbee preps a run while Maloy moves to signatures](https://utahpolitics.news/sorting-out-the-utah-gop-congressional-field-lisonbee-preps-a-run-while-maloy-moves-to-signatures.md) - The Republican congressional chessboard in Utah is finally moving—but a few of the pieces look a bit wobbly. Rep. Blake Moore looks to be in for another intraparty brawl. Former House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee told reporters on Thursday that she is “considering” challenging Moore in the 2nd C…
- [Phil Lyman is back, and he's gunning for Celeste Maloy in Utah's 3rd District](https://utahpolitics.news/phil-lyman-is-back-and-hes-gunning-for-celeste-maloy-in-utahs-3rd-district.md) - He’s baaaack—and this time he wants a seat in Congress. Former Rep. Phil Lyman, who’s still contesting his 2024 loss to Gov. Spencer Cox, jumped into the race for for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District on Thursday. “I am running for Congress to restore transparency to our government. Utahns deserve…
- [Utah redrew the lines. Burgess Owens tapped out.](https://utahpolitics.news/burgess-owens-bows-out-as-new-map-turns-blue.md) - Utah Rep. Burgess Owens said Wednesday he’s not running for re‑election, exiting before a newly drawn, Salt Lake County–centered district rated “solid Democratic” reshapes the state’s congressional map—and his electoral options. “After careful reflection, I have concluded that to continue this work…
- [A Utah GOP dissident sued party leaders and lost. Now they want $92K and a leash on future lawsuits](https://utahpolitics.news/a-utah-gop-dissident-sued-party-leaders-and-lost-now-they-want-92k-and-a-leash-on-future-lawsuits.md) - Utah Republican Party leaders want a federal judge to make the plaintiffs in a sprawling federal “election conspiracy” lawsuit pay nearly $93,000 in legal fees—and ban them from filing future lawsuits without a judge's permission first. The motion, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake C…
- [Owens bows out? Kennedy vs. Maloy? Utah Republicans squeezed by new congressional map](https://utahpolitics.news/owens-bows-out-kennedy-vs-maloy-utah-republicans-squeezed-by-new-congressional-map.md) - Utah finally settled its congressional map for the 2026 midterms, and the filing window opens Monday. It’s time for a high-stakes game of Republican musical chairs, which is complicated by a newly minted Salt Lake County-centered district that leans heavily blue. Whoever wins the Democratic nominat…
- [Utah lawmakers want to turn health class into an anti-abortion PSA](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-lawmakers-want-to-turn-health-class-into-an-anti-abortion-psa.md) - Utah lawmakers are moving to put anti-abortion propaganda into public school health classes, advancing a bill tailor-made to require screening of a video produced by a national anti-abortion organization that doctors say gets the science wrong. HB315 from Rep. Nicholeen Peck, R-Tooele, mandates tha…
- [The Prop. 4 repeal has qualified for November's ballot, but the fight isn't over](https://utahpolitics.news/the-prop-4-repeal-has-qualified-for-novembers-ballot-but-the-fight-isnt-over.md) - The initiative to repeal Prop 4—Utah’s anti-gerrymandering law that voters approved in 2018—has officially qualified for November's ballot. And it’s Republicans who put it there. An analysis of voter registration data provided by L2 reveals that 70% of petition signers are registered Republicans. A…
- [Prop. 4 repeal is just eight signatures away from qualifying for November's ballot](https://utahpolitics.news/prop-4-repeal-is-just-eight-signatures-away-from-qualifying-for-novembers-ballot.md) - Eight signatures. That’s all that separates the campaign to repeal Utah’s Proposition 4, the anti-gerrymandering law approved by voters in 2018, from the November ballot. After county clerks verified another 8,515 signatures on Thursday, the effort has now met the district-by-district threshold in…
- [Utah bill would let voters veto Utah Supreme Court rulings](https://utahpolitics.news/utah-bill-would-let-voters-veto-utah-supreme-court-rulings.md) - Should voters get a veto over Utah Supreme Court rulings that strike down state laws? A new bill says yes. HB600 from Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, would create a new statewide referendum letting voters decide whether a Utah Supreme Court opinion invalidating a state law actually takes…
- [Trump DOJ sues Utah to seize voter data](https://utahpolitics.news/trump-doj-sues-utah-to-seize-voter-data.md) - The Trump Justice Department is taking Utah to court to pry loose the state’s full, unredacted voter registration list, including birthdates, addresses, and other information. It's part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to hoover up voter data from states in the name of "election in…
- [Which Utah Republicans signed the Prop. 4 repeal, and who are the no-shows?](https://utahpolitics.news/which-utah-republicans-signed-the-prop-4-repeal-and-who-are-the-no-shows.md) - Which top Utah Republicans have put their names on the Prop 4 repeal? So far, the names of 61 Utah Republicans in Congress, statewide office, or in the Utah Legislature have been posted online as having signed the Prop. 4 repeal campaign. 33 of them have not. According to the campaign’s public list…
- [Prop. 4 repeal campaign hits statewide signature threshold, nears ballot qualification](https://utahpolitics.news/prop-4-repeal-campaign-hits-statewide-signature-threshold-nears-ballot-qualification.md) - On Thursday, the campaign to repeal Prop 4 hit the statewide signature threshold to land on the November ballot and has cleared the district-level requirement in 20 of the required 26 state Senate districts. Prop 4—the voter-approved 2018 anti-gerrymandering initiative—created an independent redist…
- [The Prop. 4 repeal appears headed to the ballot. So why are they suing to stop signature removals?](https://utahpolitics.news/the-prop-4-repeal-appears-headed-to-the-ballot-so-why-are-they-suing-to-stop-signature-removals.md) - The campaign to put a repeal of Utah’s Prop. 4 on the November ballot is 86 verified signatures shy of the statewide goal. On Wednesday it crossed the 8% threshold in five more Senate districts, bringing the total to 14 of the required 26. So, why are its backers sprinting to court? Because the coo…
- [Kalshi sues to block Utah from cracking down on prediction markets](https://utahpolitics.news/kalshi-sues-to-block-utah-from-cracking-down-on-prediction-markets.md) - Kalshi, the online prediction market, filed suit against Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Attorney General Derek Brown, and AG’s office officials in federal court, saying the state is laying the groundwork to kick the exchange out of Utah under anti‑gambling laws. In Monday's filing, Kalshi says the state is…

## Optional
- [RSS Feed](https://utahpolitics.news/rss/)
- [Sitemap](https://utahpolitics.news/sitemap.xml)
- [Full content of pages and posts](https://utahpolitics.news/llms-full.txt)