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SALT LAKE CITY — Republican Party leaders in Utah and Salt Lake counties report that the weekend’s conventions went well despite COVID-19 forcing voting into a virtual format just weeks before.
Utah County announced results Sunday, revealing that one sitting lawmaker, Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, will not be on the ballot after delegates backed his opponent, attorney Nelson Abbott, with 71% of the vote. Daw, who has served in the Legislature for a total of 14 years, did not gather signatures to secure a spot on the primary ballot in June.
Salt Lake County Republican delegates continued voting late into Monday for a second round.
A handful of incumbent legislators have been forced into the upcoming primary election. Candidates who win more than 60% of delegate support are the automatic party nominee. However, those who manage to collect enough signatures can still appear on the ballot, even if the other candidate has 60% of delegate support.
Stewart Peay, Utah County Republican Party chairman, said the digital convention had a few electronic glitches and some delegates struggled to log onto the system, but overall it was an “overwhelmingly good experience.”
“I thought it was a great step for the party to move forward technologically,” Peay said, citing a nearly 90% participation rate as an advantage. “It was great that we were able to move forward generally, and it was even better that we were able to do it under these very trying circumstances.”
Salt Lake County Republican Party Chairman Scott Miller echoed that view Monday, saying electronic voting is going well and that the process has garnered praise for its efficiency. Though, Miller explained, that one downside of conducting the convention online has been the lack of face-to-face interactions.
“It’s a lot easier to tell if somebody is embellishing the truth, or is sincere in what they are saying when you are eye to eye with them,” he said. “That to me is another big, big negative of not having it on a face to face. I really think that’s important for a delegate or even just a general voter to have that ability to go out and shake hands and look somebody in the eye.”
Salt Lake County
Incumbent Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, won 65.7% of delegates’ votes against former Rep. Rich Cunningham, but the two will still face off in June since both garnered enough signatures to qualify for the primary.
Incumbent of 23 years Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, will also face a challenge in the primary as he won 53.7% of the vote against business owner Karen Hyatt — not a high enough percentage to automatically qualify.
Related:
Utah Democrats, GOP cancel in-person state conventions, postpone caucus night
The Utah Republican and Utah Democratic parties intend to cancel their in-person state conventions next month because of the coronavirus pandemic.The race for District 47 soared into the second round and was called Monday night, with incumbent Rep. Steve Christiansen, R-West Jordan, earning 54.1% of the vote. He will face Nathan Brown in the upcoming primary.
Attorney Jordan Teuscher and former Utah Republican Party Vice Chairman Aaron Starks will both advance to the primary for House District 42 after winning 57.5% and 42.5% of the vote, respectively. The candidates are running for the seat currently held by Rep. Kim Coleman, R-West Jordan, who is running for the 4th Congressional District held by Utah’s only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Ben McAdams.
Utah County
Incumbent Rep. Kay Christofferson, R-Lehi, was defeated by conservative activist Merrilee Boyack, but Christofferson will still advance to the primary as he qualified through signature gathering.
Rep. Marsha Judkins, R-Provo, won 68.3% of delegate votes but will still face Kenneth Grover in the primary because he collected enough signatures to move on.
Incumbent Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, will also face a primary challenge from attorney and engineer David Shallenberger. Both candidates collected enough signatures to advance to the primary, though Shallenberger edged Stratton out in delegate votes, 57.7% to 42.3%.
Payson City Council member Doug Welton handily won the seat of retiring Rep. Marc Roberts, R-Salem, with 70% of the vote. He is running unopposed in the November election.
Rep. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, opted to run for the seat being vacated by Sen. Deidre Henderson’s, R-Spanish Fork, who is running for lieutenant governor. He won at the convention handily and will skip the primary, advancing directly to the November election.
