Moderate Republicans look to stave off challenges from the right at Utah party convention
SALT LAKE CITY — Moderate Republicans, who have often had success with Utah voters, will try to fend off further-right challengers at Saturday’s GOP convention, which typically favors the most conservative contenders.
All eyes are on the crowded race to succeed U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, the state’s best-known centrist Republican who has often made waves for opposing former President Donald Trump and other party leaders.
Delegates at the convention will select the party’s candidate, although there is no guarantee their choice will win the June primary and end up on the ballot in November.
The group of nearly a dozen Republicans vying to replace Romney includes a congressman, a former state legislative leader and the lawyer son of Utah’s longest-serving U.S. senator. While some have tried to align themselves with far-right figures like Trump and Utah’s other senator, Mike Lee, others have distanced themselves in an attempt to appeal to the largest number of voters.
“This seat is going to be something of a flashpoint between the two main factions of the party in the state,” said Utah State University political scientist James Curry. “On the one hand, you have the more moderate faction that Romney really embodied, not just here but nationwide, versus the more pro-Trump faction that has often not been as successful with Utah voters when there has been a viable moderate option. ”
Top candidates include former House Speaker Brad Wilson and U.S. Rep. John Curtis.
Wilson, 55, has supported Trump’s re-election bid and promises to be a “conservative warrior” on Capitol Hill.
Curtis, 63, who is seen as the more moderate of the two, has been compared to Romney for opposing hardliners in his party, especially on climate change.
Wilson will likely appeal to congressional delegates, who tend to be more conservative, while Curtis could have broader appeal among primary voters, Curry said.
Both have already collected enough signatures to qualify for the primaries regardless of Saturday’s outcome, but the winner could use that to boost their campaign.
However, Republican Party nominations have historically had little impact on Utah voters’ choice to represent them.
Nominees for governor, Congress and other offices will also be selected Saturday.