“They want to see additional momentum,” Axson told reporters after his win. “They want to see growth. They’ve seen what I’ve delivered over the last two years … and that is now the new foundation. Let’s build from there.”

President Donald Trump and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) endorsed Axson ahead of the convention.

Another point of contention at the convention came from Utah Senate Bill 54, a law that has grown controversial to members of the Utah GOP. It allows for a candidate to be placed on the ballot by either being nominated by their party or by collecting signatures.

Delegates rejected a proposed amendment to the party’s constitution that would revoke a Republican candidate’s party membership to the Utah GOP if they gain access to the ballot through signature gathering instead of through the nominating process within the party.

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During his speech, Axson told delegates that SB54 “still undermines the principles of our party” but that “the law is the law, and claiming otherwise is not a strategy for success, no matter how loudly you do so.”

“We must repeal SB54, but we cannot unless we are united,” he said. “We can’t beat SB54 if we spend all our time beating one another.”