Current:Home > BackModerate Republicans look to stave off challenges from the right at Utah party convention-InfoLens
Moderate Republicans look to stave off challenges from the right at Utah party convention
View Date:2024-12-23 16:51:39
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Moderate Republicans, who often have been successful with Utah voters, will look to stave off farther-right challengers at Saturday’s state 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 often made waves for opposing former President Donald Trump and other leaders of the party.
Delegates at the convention will select the party’s nominee, though there is no guarantee their pick will win the June primary and end up on the ballot in November.
The pool 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 sought to align themselves with farther-right figures such as Trump and Utah’s other senator, Mike Lee, others have distanced themselves in an effort to appeal to the widest swath of voters.
“This seat gets to be sort of a flashpoint between the two major factions of the party in the state,” Utah State University political scientist James Curry said. “On one hand you have the more moderate faction that Romney really embodied, not just here but nationwide, versus the more pro-Trump faction that often hasn’t been as successful with Utah voters when there’s been a viable moderate option.”
Among the top contenders are former state House Speaker Brad Wilson and U.S. Rep. John Curtis.
Wilson, 55, has endorsed Trump’s reelection bid and promises to be a “conservative fighter” on Capitol Hill.
Curtis, 63, who is seen as the more moderate of the two, has been compared to Romney for pushing back against hardliners in his party, particularly on climate change.
Wilson will likely appeal to convention delegates, who tend to be more conservative, while Curtis could have broader appeal among primary voters, Curry said.
Both already have collected enough signatures to qualify for the primary regardless of Saturday’s outcome, but the winner could leverage that to boost their campaign.
Republican Party nominations historically have had little bearing on who Utah voters choose to represent them, however.
Nominees for governor, Congress and other offices also will be selected Saturday.
veryGood! (949)
Related
- See Leonardo DiCaprio's Transformation From '90s Heartthrob to Esteemed Oscar Winner
- Inflation eases to three-year low in August. How will it affect Fed rate cuts?
- California Slashed Harmful Vehicle Emissions, but People of Color and Overburdened Communities Continue to Breathe the Worst Air
- Campbell removing 'soup' from iconic company name after 155 years
- Video shows Starlink satellite that resembled fireball breaking up over the Southwest: Watch
- Justin Timberlake reaches plea deal to resolve drunken driving case, AP source says
- Georgia community grapples with questions, grief and a mass shooting
- A tiny village has commemorated being the first Dutch place liberated from World War II occupation
- 13 escaped monkeys still on the loose in South Carolina after 30 were recaptured
- Chanel West Coast Details Daughter Bowie's Terrible 2s During VMAs Date Night With Dom Fenison
Ranking
- Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
- CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Wildfires plague U.S. West and Brazil, Yagi rampages in Vietnam
- Why Chappell Roan Told MTV VMAs Attendee to Shut the F--k Up
- New Orleans Saints staff will stay in team's facility during Hurricane Francine
- The Army’s answer to a lack of recruits is a prep course to boost low scores. It’s working
- Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear case affecting future of state’s elections leader
- Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau’s Sister Katie Speaks Out After Their Tragic Deaths
- Fearless Fund settles DEI fight and shuts down grant program for Black women
Recommendation
-
Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
-
Chappell Roan Steals the Show With 2024 MTV VMAs Performance Amid Backlash for Canceling Concerts
-
2024 VMAs Red Carpet: Taylor Swift's Bondage-Inspired Look Is Giving Reputation Vibes
-
Who won the $810 million Mega Millions jackpot in Texas? We may never know.
-
Sister Wives’ Kody Brown Explains His Stance on His Daughter Gwendlyn Brown’s Sexuality
-
Addison Rae Is Only Wearing Underwear at the 2024 MTV VMAs
-
Shopping on impulse? Most of us make impulse buys. Here's how to stop.
-
Madison LeCroy Says Your Makeup Will Last Until Dawn With This Setting Spray, Even if You Jump in a Lake