TAYLORSVILLE — Utah Republican Party leaders voted overwhelmingly Saturday to comply with a controversial law changing the candidate nomination process after hearing from Gov. Gary Herbert it was time for the GOP infighting to stop.

"I'm sad to see some of the turmoil we see. I've called it kind of a civil war inside the Republican Party," the governor said at the start of the GOP State Central Committee's four-hour special meeting.

Herbert told the more than 120 committee members crowded into the Taylorsville City Council chambers that it was a mistake to "denigrate" supporters of SB54, the compromise lawmakers made with backers of the Count My Vote initiative.

The law limits the power of delegates to select nominees, giving candidates the ability to bypass the party's traditional caucus and convention system by gathering voter signatures for a place on the primary ballot.

"I don't think we need to look for blame. It is what it is. We need to look for solutions," the governor said, urging the committee to take the action needed to ensure candidates can run as Republicans next year.

Herbert, who is running for re-election in 2016, said he wasn't opposed to the Republican Party continuing its lawsuit against the state over SB54 but warned that could be risky.

Although others at the meeting, including former congresswoman and current Utah Republican National Committeewoman Enid Mickelsen, disagreed with Herbert's description of party strife, they also pushed for compliance.

"Let's bury all this talk about a civil war," Mickelsen said.

The party leaders from around the state at the meeting did as they were asked. The committee is scheduled to meet again in late June, but delegates at the party's state convention in mid-August will have the final say.

Before committee members voted Saturday to participate in the 2016 election as a qualified political party, they spent about an hour in a closed session with the attorneys hired to represent the GOP in the lawsuit.

Utah GOP Chairman James Evans told reporters after the meeting the lawsuit in federal court "continues to go forward." He declined to discuss the closed session, other than to say it was not contentious.

Earlier, he told the committee that the party has "to face the legal reality of what we have" and assured them there was no question that "we fought as hard as we could."

The Republican Party recently lost a bid for a preliminary injunction against SB54 despite Evans telling the court the party wouldn't be able to meet the fall deadline for complying with the law.

But there was little debate Saturday over whether to become a qualified political party, still able to nominate candidates through the caucus and convention system but required to open primary elections to unaffiliated voters.

Their only other option to keep Republicans on the ballot was to give up the power to nominate candidates. As a registered political party, however, the GOP could keep its primary elections closed to nonparty members.

Related:

'Civil war' in GOP nomination process takes step toward truce

Utah GOP leaders will have a chance Saturday to take a step toward a truce in what Gov. Gary Herbert has called a civil war within the party over complying with a state-mandated candidate nomination process. (Photo: Rick Bowmer/AP)

The committee also easily agreed to allow membership requirements to be set and passed a new mandate that candidates who want to run as Republicans must sign a disclosure statement spelling out where they stand on the party platform.

Former state lawmaker Chris Herrod, who previously had argued for throwing Republicans out of the party if they skipped the caucus and convention system, withdrew a proposal to create a separate committee to oversee the legal battle.

"We've done great work today," he said.

Herrod said later he no longer plans to push for such harsh sanctions against candidates, something he had said was needed to strengthen the party's case.

Evans ended the meeting by announcing formally that he is running for another two-year term as party chairman. He introduced a potential rival, former Utah GOP Chairman Thomas Wright, as the party's new finance chairman.

Wright said later he has not ruled out a challenge to Evans.

Count My Vote Executive Director Taylor Morgan said in a statement the organization was pleased with the actions taken Saturday by the GOP leaders.

"We applaud the Utah Republican Party State Central Committee for voting to comply with SB54 and become a qualified political party," Morgan said. "This decision will help foster greater participation in Utah elections."

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