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 candidate (governor in 2022, U.S. Senate in 2024), who built her brand by promoting false claims that Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election was due to electoral fraud.
⏰ Tick Tock
3 days - Last day candidates can file to run for Congress (3/13/2026)
7 days - Neighborhood caucus night. (3/17/2026)
32 days - Utah Forward Party nominating convention (4/11/2026)
47 days - Utah State Republican and Democratic State Party nominating conventions (4/25/2026)
106 days - Utah's 2026 primary election (6/23/2026)
238 days - 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026)
973 days - 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028)
“We tried to get Kari Lake and a few others. She couldn’t clear it by ethics review because of her role in the federal government, so she was unable to accept our invitation,” party chair Mike Carey said in a text message.
President Donald Trump appointed her as a senior advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (which oversees Voice of America), then promoted her to acting CEO in July 2025. She spent four months systematically dismantling the agency—laying off virtually all full-time staffers, axing every contractor, and cutting a deal to carry content from One America News Network.
Then last week a federal judge ruled Lake was improperly appointed because she was never confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and that every action taken during her four-month tenure (she left in November 2025) is now legally void.
Carey won’t say what Shirley’s speaking fee is costing them. For context, Phil Lyman shelled out $25,000 during his 2024 gubernatorial run to bring Riley Gaines (the former swimmer turned culture warrior) to a Utah campaign event.
The party’s banking on ticket sales for the fundraising event at the Loveland Aquarium to cover whatever they’re paying Shirley. Tickets for the dinner run from $150 for an individual all the way up to $10,000 to sponsor a ten-person table.
Shirley is not the only high-profile headliner for a political fundraiser in the Beehive State this spring. The Washington County GOP already hosted conservative commentator Benny Johnson at their February Lincoln Day bash, while the Weber County GOP is bringing in Sam Adolphsen, who is the Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy on the White House Policy Council.
It’s not just Republicans. The Weber County Democratic Party is hosting Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin for their Orton and McKay dinner on Sunday, while Salt Lake County Democrats have booked Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs as the speaker for their Politisauce fundraiser on March 30.
