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SALT LAKE CITY — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian King said his faith informs his political worldview in a new ad released Thursday morning.
King, a current state lawmaker and former state House minority leader, called on Utahns not to cast their ballot based on voting tradition.
"I'm a Democrat because of my faith, not despite it," King says at the beginning of the video. "Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a Democrat makes me a maverick."
The church has issued statements declaring itself strictly "neutral in matters of party politics." The church's general handbook says, "The church does not endorse any political party or candidate. Nor does it advise members how to vote."
The church encourages its members to "engage in the political process in an informed and civil manner, respecting the fact that members of the church come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have differences of opinion in partisan political matters."
During his time in Utah politics, King has written frequently about the need for members of the state's predominant faith to vote according to their principles, not historical party affiliation.
King is running a long-shot campaign to unseat Republican Gov. Spencer Cox in deep-red Utah. Cox defeated his Democratic opponent, Chris Peterson, 64%-31% in 2020. Previous gubernatorial general elections in Utah saw the Republican nominee consistently win by 30%-40%.
'The will and the desires of the people'
Cox is also not shy about his faith. "I've been an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ my entire life," he said in a social media post in 2022.
A majority of Utahns are members of the church. But Latter-day Saints are used to change, even if it means feeling like an outsider, King said.
"I'm asking you not to vote based on tradition, I'm asking you to remember who you are and what you stand for," King says in the ad, filmed in a southern Utah setting.
As an elected official, King often criticized state leadership on abortion restrictions — King supports "the legal need to have abortion options." As minority leader in the Utah House, King led opposition to Utah's 2020 abortion prohibition and proposed gun control legislation requiring universal background checks on gun sales.
King continues to be "very concerned" about "women's reproductive issues," he told the Deseret News in December when he announced his gubernatorial campaign. He said abortion policy is one example of Republicans "misreading the will and the desires of the people of the state of Utah with regard to these most personal private decisions in their lives."
During the legislative session, King was an outspoken critic of Cox's decision to back the state's Republican supermajority on bills dealing with diversity, equity and inclusion practices and bathroom privacy.
But King knows to win the governorship, he would have to change a lot of minds.
"Now you and I may disagree at times, but the fundamentals of common sense, good government, freedom and democracy, we share," King says in the ad.
Fundraising and approval rates
Cox has enjoyed a generally high approval rating during his nearly four years as governor.
On Monday, the polling firm Morning Consult released its latest gubernatorial approval ratings. Cox's overall popularity remained constant over the last year, with a net approval rating of around 24%. In the first three months of 2024, 55% of Utah voters said they approved of Cox, 31% said they disapproved and 14% said they didn't know.
Among Republicans, Cox received a 69% approval rating, with 19% disapproving and 12% feeling unsure. Cox's consistent showing among Republicans was not replicated among Democrats.
In the first quarter of 2024, Democratic net approval of Cox fell by 32 percentage points, the poll found. A quarter of Utah Democrats said they approved of Cox, 64% said they did not and 11% said they didn't know.
King had an impressive first-quarter fundraising haul, outraising Cox with $171,000 in campaign contributions compared to Cox's $155,300. The recent donations bring King's election-cycle total to over $215,200 and Cox's to over $1,680,600.
Neither candidate was able to engage in fundraising efforts during the state legislative session from Jan. 16 to March 1. Cox's fundraising restriction extended for an additional 20 days during the bill signing period, meaning he was unable to fundraise for 65 of the 107 days before the filing deadline.
Cox will confront his Republican challenger, state lawmaker Phil Lyman, on the June 25 primary ballot. The Republican nominee will then face off against King in the general election on Nov. 5
