(TargetDailyNews.com) – Utah Republican moderates recently won their primaries over Trump-endorsed candidates, suggesting that the state’s GOP is moderate when it comes to issues like support for foreign wars or climate change.
Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) will be in the running for former Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-UT) seat in the Senate. He’ll face off against Democrat challenger Caroline Gleich, but is all but assured a win as the state hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1970. Curtis beat out Trump-endorsed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs who had very little popularity or fame prior to Trump’s endorsement.
Gov. Spencer Cox also defeated more conservative challengers. Cox was originally elected to office in 2021 and despite being booed at the state’s GOP convention, still managed to beat Rep. Phil Lyman. Lyman had previously echoed Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was illegitimate.
The corporate press has called anyone supporting Trump or who identifies with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as “far-right,” despite the lack of ethnonationalism or other extreme policy positions. Conservative challengers to both Curtis and Cox were described as such in other reports.
Cox and Curtis both will be heavily favored in November despite their support for more climate-related federal and state regulations and ongoing financial support for the war in Ukraine which are less common among members of the GOP.
Gleich suggested that Curtis wasn’t moderate in comments to the press, claiming he pandered to big oil without elaboration.
Mormons typically sway elections in Utah and the Church of Latter Day Saints tends to lean liberal when it comes to foreign wars and illegal immigration. Both issues tend to earn the ire of conservatives or independents who support former President Donald Trump.
Both Cox and Curtis plan to support Trump’s bid for the Oval Office, but they’ve also demonstrated a willingness to disagree with Trump’s policy positions.
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