Utah GOP Primary Won By Moderate Republicans Willing To Break With Trump

(NationalUSNews.com) — The Utah primaries were held on Thursday June 27, and many have remarked that the Utah conservatives seem to be showing a strong preference for more moderate candidates.

The incumbent Republican Governor, Spencer Cox, handily beat out his challenger, Representative Phil Lyman. Lyman was believed to be favored by Trump in the race. In the Senate race, the moderate incumbent John Curtis crushed his competitors by a handy margin. Utah has previously supported other moderate conservatives, like Mitt Romney.

After his win, Governor Cox praised Utah voters for not falling for lies and conspiracy theories. Cox has openly criticized Donald Trump and has vetoed bills that were sponsored by his own party. He has often been noted for his willingness to work with Democrats on various issues. Representative Curtis is a member of the centrist Republican Governance Group and did not support Trump during the 2024 primary campaign. He is also a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which shows that, like Cox, he is willing to work with Democrats on common issues.

While both of these Republican moderates have won their primaries, they still need to face opposition in the upcoming general election. Cox will be facing Democratic State Representative Brian King. King is also known for being a moderate who has worked with members of both parties to achieve common goals. Curtis will be running against Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich in the general election. Gleich is a professional skier known for her environmental activism. Utah is generally a more conservative state and has never had a Democratic governor.

While it is not likely the Democrats will win either of these positions in the general election, the strong support for more moderate Republican candidates suggests a distaste for more extreme politics. There has been much discussion over the steadily increasing ideological distance between people of opposing political views. A move to more moderate candidates on either side of the aisle could signal a cooling off of political tensions that would be welcome to many Americans.