4-term Area consultant bests Republican competitors, together with Trump-endorsed mayor, to protected birthday party nod as overwhelming fall favourite in deep-red state.
Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) has received the June 25 Utah Republican Senate number one and is the overpowering favourite to be successful the retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in fall’s normal election.
Mr. Curtis, who served 4 phrases within the Area prior to saying his bid for the Senate in early 2024, will sq. off towards Democrat Caroline Gleich, an environmental-activist mountaineer who secured the Nov. 5 berth in her birthday party’s April conference with no number one problem.
In a state the place registered Republican electorate outnumber Democrats three-to-one, winners in Utah’s GOP primaries are near-locks to advance basically elections.
Utah hasn’t elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1970.
Mr. Curtis had notched 51.6 % of the tally, 99,245 votes, when the Related Press referred to as the race at 8:24 p.m. Rocky Mountain Time (RMT), lower than a part hour after polls closed.
He outpolled Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs (28.1 % when AP referred to as the race)—who used to be counseled by means of former President Donald Trump—former Utah Area Speaker Brad Wilson (14.1 %), and entrepreneur Jason Walton (6.2 %) in a race many nationwide analysts previewed as a conflict between the average and MAGA wings of the GOP.
Mr. Curtis, a former Democrat and two-term mayor of Provo, received a 2017 particular election to be successful Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) within the Area.
He’s extensively considered as a average within the mould of Mr. Romney, the previous Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential nominee, who incurred the wrath of Trump supporters when he voted to convict the previous president in 2020 and 2021 impeachment trials.
Mr. Curtis, 64, didn’t toughen former President Trump right through Utah’s March 5, 2024 number one caucus.
Whilst he used to be no longer a outstanding presence within the fray, which former President Trump ruled in nailing down the GOP nomination, his spouse used to be amongst former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s maximum vocal Beehive State supporters.
Mr. Staggs, 49, who introduced his candidacy 9 months prior to Mr. Romney printed in September 2023 that he would no longer search a 2d Senate time period, used to be counseled by means of former President Trump on April 28.
Hours later, he notched two-thirds of the Republican conference vote to protected the birthday party’s backing.
His toughen for former President Trump and complaint of Mr. Curtis as a Romney clone, the founding father of the Conservative Local weather Caucus, and “sure” vote for the Admire for Marriage Act, have been key elements of his marketing campaign.
However Utah electorate, even supposing overwhelmingly Republican, have traditionally been extra average in balloting patterns than state birthday party conference delegates.
Whilst former President Trump constantly polls 20-to-30 % above President Joe Biden in surveys—unbiased candidate Robert F. Kennedy polls upper than the incumbent Democrat—the endorsement used to be no longer sufficient to spice up the relativity little-known mayor to victory.
The GOP number one to be successful Mr. Romney as soon as featured 11 hopefuls however best 4 certified for the poll after April’s Republican number one.
Mr. Wilson, 55, whilst pledging toughen for former President Trump, emphasised his low-key, no-drama effectiveness in transferring law in representing his constituents, pointing to his 2011–2023 tenure in Utah’s area and ascension to speaker.
Utah’s U.S. Senate election is for certainly one of 34 senior chamber seats on 2024 ballots around the nation, together with 11 held by means of GOP incumbents.
It isn’t a few of the key battles in figuring out which birthday party will keep an eye on the Senate in January 2025. Democrats now have a 51–49 majority.
Mr. Curtis used to be the odds-on favourite from the instant he entered the race, just about a yr after Mr. Staggs did, and remained so regardless of President Trump’s endorsement and state birthday party backing for the mayor.
Consistent with a June 4–6 survey of 469 most likely electorate by means of HarrisX for Deseret Information and the College of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics, Mr. Curtis notched 47 % of the tally, eclipsing Mr. Wilson at 24 %, Mr. Staggs at 21 %, and Mr. Walton at 8 %. That trend proved indicative within the June 25 vote.
Mr. Wilson led in fundraising, in line with his June 5 Federal Elections Fee (FEC) submitting, elevating $4.988 million—together with important self-funded contributions—spending $4.434 million with $554,000 within the financial institution.
Mr. Curtis’s June 5 FEC submitting confirmed $3.7 million raised, $3.522 million spent, $575,865 cash-on-hand; Mr. Walton elevating $2.79 million, together with self-funding, $2.532 million spent, $262,000 within the financial institution; Mr. Staggs elevating $1.14 million, spending $765,000, with $375,249 cash-on-hand.