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SALT LAKE CITY — Entrepreneur Case Lawrence on Friday announced an exploratory committee for Utah's 3rd Congressional District, becoming the latest potential Republican candidate for the seat currently held by Rep. John Curtis.
Lawrence is the founder and former CEO of CircusTrix — which acquired Sky Zone and later rebranded under that name — an entertainment company that operates more than 300 trampoline facilities in the U.S. He was named Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Utah in 2017, and 2019 CEO of the Year by Utah Business. He retired as CEO of Sky Zone in 2019 but still serves as vice chairman on the company's board of directors.
"The current challenges facing our nation are so dire that I can no longer stand on the sidelines," said Lawrence, who casts himself as a political outsider. "Utah's 3rd District is among the most educated and entrepreneurial in our nation — and deserves a conservative leader who knows how to get things done in the real world. My priorities will be to protect and empower the American family, the American middle class and American entrepreneurs."
Curtis, who has represented the 3rd District since 2017, has said he's mulling a campaign for the Senate seat held by Mitt Romney, after the senator announced in September he wouldn't seek another term. The possibility of an open race for Curtis' current seat has already appealed to several potential candidates, including state Sen. Mike Kennedy and former state Rep. Chris Herrod.
Lawrence's exploratory committee will be led by Jeff Rust, a partner at Truss, and Jayson Edwards, founder of the J-Dawgs restaurant.
"If John Curtis runs for the U.S. Senate, Utah's 3rd District needs a conservative leader representing us. Case is that man," Rust said.
Lawrence received his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and earned a law degree from Duke. He teaches a class on entrepreneurship at BYU's Marriott School of Business and serves on the President's Leadership Council at the university.
Correction: An earlier version said Lawrence founded Sky Zone. Lawrence founded CircusTrix, which later acquired Sky Zone and rebranded under that name.
