{"id":2263698,"date":"2024-06-10T06:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T10:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-to-chart-post-romney-path-with-gop-senate-primary\/"},"modified":"2024-06-10T06:13:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T10:13:35","slug":"utah-to-chart-post-romney-path-with-gop-senate-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-to-chart-post-romney-path-with-gop-senate-primary\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah GOP to define post-Romney era in Senate primary"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futah-to-chart-post-romney-path-with-gop-senate-primary%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2263698&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/utah-sen-mitt-romney-flexes-2024-muscles-at-republican-nominating-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>boasted<\/em><\/a>    at the state GOP convention last month that he prevented Obamacare\u2019s Medicaid expansion from taking\u200c hold \u2063in the state.<\/p>\n<p>When Senator Mitt Romney leaves the Senate \u200bin January, his centrist reputation will also leave with him. A primary election later this month will decide if Utah \u2062voters still prefer Romney&#8217;s \u2064brand of Republican politics or if they want a more Trump-like candidate. There are three \u2062front-runners\u200d in the\u2064 Senate Republican\u2064 primary: Representative John Curtis, who is more moderate and a climate hawk, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who has been endorsed by\u2063 Trump, and Brad Wilson, a former \u2063House speaker. Romney has decided \u2064to remain neutral in the race and will endorse whoever wins the primary. Staggs has said he would not welcome Romney&#8217;s support unless he changes his stance on Trump and Curtis has declined \u200ban interview for this story. Wilson has\u200d been criticized for portraying himself as the most conservative candidate when his record shows some centrist \u2063leanings. Polls show Curtis as the favorite with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-despite-floridas-even-split-between-gop-dems-desantis-has-strong-approval-rating-overwhelming-support-on-pandemic\/\" title=\"POLL: Despite Florida\u2019s Even Split Between GOP, Dems, DeSantis Has Strong Approval Rating, Overwhelming Support On Pandemic\">double-digit lead<\/a>, but the margins have\u2064 varied.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>When Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitt-romney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Mitt Romney\">Mitt Romney<\/a> (R-UT) leaves the Senate at the end of the year, he will take with him his centrist reputation. But a primary election later this month will decide if Utah voters still prefer his brand of Republican politics or want to chart a Trumpier path.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2710493\/utah-senate-race-takes-shape-as-candidates-vie-to-replace-mitt-romney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"competitive primary\">Three candidates<\/a> have solidified themselves as the front-runners in the home stretch of the Senate Republican <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2958763\/romney-allies-shaping-utah-senate-republican-primary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"competitive primary\">primary<\/a>: Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), a climate hawk; Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, a Trump-endorsed conservative; and Brad Wilson, former House speaker for the Beehive State.<\/p>\n<p>GOP voters will choose among them on June 25, with the nominee expected to cruise to victory this November in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-seek-to-revert-ohio-to-swing-state-status\/\" title=\"Democrats seek to revert Ohio to swing state status\">reliably red state<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Romney, who lost favor with conservatives after voting to convict former President Donald Trump in his two impeachments, is remaining neutral for fear of being a \u201ckiss of death\u201d to any of the campaigns, he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-carolina-gop-censures-sen-richard-burr-over-impeachment-vote\/\" title=\"North Carolina GOP Censures Sen. Richard Burr Over Impeachment Vote\">retiring senator<\/a> said he would \u201cabsolutely\u201d endorse whichever Republican wins the primary.<\/p>\n<p>Or maybe not. Romney was noncommittal on if he\u2019d get behind the Trump-backed Staggs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll cross that bridge if we come to it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Staggs, for his part, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Romney\u2019s support isn\u2019t welcome unless he walks back his years of harsh criticism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got somebody who claims he would rather support Biden and vote for him in the general election against Trump. No, that\u2019s not something I would welcome,\u201d Staggs said in an interview. \u201cWe need to have Republicans that are going to go back and represent Utahns and everyday Americans. We haven\u2019t seen that in Mitt Romney.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Pictured from left to right: Former Utah Speaker of the House Brad Wilson, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, and Rep. John Curtis (R-UT). (AP Photos\/Hannah Schoenbaum)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Romney, who decided not to seek reelection to make way for a \u201cnew generation of leaders,\u201d turned 77 this year.<\/p>\n<p>He most closely aligns ideologically with Wilson of the three primary candidates, per legislative analysis from the Conservative Political Action Conference. Romney\u2019s lifetime conservative score is 62%, compared to Wilson\u2019s 71% and Curtis\u2019s 79%. The score of Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who has not made an endorsement in the race, is 99%. Staggs did not have one because CPAC does not evaluate local politicians.<\/p>\n<p>Staggs touted his \u201cwillingness to stand up to the establishment,\u201d pitching himself as the true MAGA conservative in the race, and has also been endorsed by the likes of Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), plus the Utah GOP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Utahns want a continuation of a Mitt Romney type of legacy, they can go elect my opponent John Curtis,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they want somebody who is actually going to stand with President Trump, advance an America First agenda, and get us back to energy dominance, they can elect me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Public and internal polling in recent months has found Curtis is the favorite with a double-digit lead, though the margins have varied.<\/p>\n<p>Curtis is the founder of the House Conservative Climate Caucus and has been a leader in the GOP on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">clean energy<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/2794344\/utah-republican-john-curtis-not-climate-guy-senate-romney-seat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reputation he\u2019s sought to shake off<\/a> in the primary. His campaign declined an interview request for this story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy constituents see me as far more than the climate guy,\u201d Curtis told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> in January. \u201cIt\u2019s a tool in the toolbox. \u2026 It\u2019s actually a strength to me, but I clearly want to be a candidate who is good on all the issues that are important to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wilson, meanwhile, has been criticized by some in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mitch-mcconnells-betrayal-hurts-the-nation-goodwin\/\" title=\"Mitch McConnell\u2019s betrayal hurts the nation\">state party<\/a> for posturing as the most conservative candidate when his record shows some centrist leanings. He brushed aside Staggs\u2019s Trump endorsement, saying the election \u201chas never been about getting the support of people outside of the state of Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) arrives as the Senate prepares a procedural vote at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThis isn\u2019t about Mitt. This isn\u2019t about any big personalities or big political leaders in our country or in our state,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThis is about the everyday, hardworking Utahns who, quite frankly, at times have felt \u2014 and I\u2019m not necessarily saying this about Sen. Romney \u2014 at times like their congressional delegation in general is not as responsive to what needs to be done here in Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A poll last month commissioned by the political arm of ClearPath, a right-leaning clean energy group that has bolstered Curtis with $450,000 in ad spending, showed Curtis at 35% to Wilson at 11.5% and Staggs at 8% among 500 respondents.<\/p>\n<p>A competing survey provided by the Staggs campaign from the Salt Lake County Republican Party with 4,000 respondents showed Curtis at 36.5% to Staggs\u2019s 22% and Wilson\u2019s 7%.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Federal election records showed Wilson with the most cash on hand as of April 7, the most recent data available. He had more than $2 million in the bank, compared to Curtis\u2019s $1.3 million and Staggs\u2019s $453,000.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2958763\/romney-allies-shaping-utah-senate-republican-primary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>previously uncovered<\/a> how associates and allies of Romney, including prominent donors and former staffers, are backing the more centrist candidates Wilson and Curtis.<\/p>\n<p><em>Nancy Vu contributed to this report. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) retires at year&#8217;s end, his centrist legacy will be tested. A primary election this month will reveal whether Utah voters favor his moderate Republican approach or prefer a more Trump-aligned direction. Three candidates are leading contenders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2263699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Brad-Wilson-Trent-Staggs-John-Curtis.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2263698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Brad-Wilson-Trent-Staggs-John-Curtis.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2263698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2263698\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2263698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2263698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2263698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}