Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
OGDEN — The varied Republican hopefuls for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Mitt Romney align in many respects.
They put an emphasis on how conservative they are, say improving U.S.-Mexico border security would be a priority and point to government overreach, particularly at the federal level, as another top concern. The need to scale back federal spending and chip away at the deficit were also common themes.
"We're all conservative. We don't disagree on a lot of things," said Brent Orrin Hatch, one of the 11 GOP hopefuls for the seat and the son of the late U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch. Romney, who has come under fire from some Utah Republicans for his criticism of former President Donald Trump, isn't seeking a second term.
As the April 27 Utah Republican Party convention looms, though, now's the time to break from the pack, and eight of the hopefuls met at a forum on Monday in Ogden to make the case for their candidacies. Multiple candidates may still be standing after the convention; primary voting, which will serve to pick the single GOP hopeful for the post, culminates June 25.
Speaking at Monday's event in Ogden, hosted by the Weber County Republican Women, were Hatch, Jeremy Friedbaum, Trent Staggs, Jason Walton, Josh Randall, Chandler Tanner, Carolyn Phippen and Brad Wilson. Adrielle Herring, John Curtis' campaign chairwoman, appeared on his behalf. Republican hopefuls Clark White and Brian Jenkins did not appear.
Walton, a businessman, put the focus on his lack of political background and expressed a measure of distaste for politicians. "I'm tired of being betrayed. I'm not a politician," he said.
Friedbaum, who's from Provo, had hoped Tim Ballard, the embattled former head of Operation Underground Railroad, would have gotten in the race. When he didn't, Friedbaum decided to jump in. Repealing SB54, the controversial 2014 measure that allows candidates to petition for a place on the primary ballot, bypassing the convention process, is a focus.
Staggs, the mayor of Riverton, touted his business background. He also lauded U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, saying, "That's exactly what I would give you in the state — a true conservative."
Hatch, now a trial attorney, cited his prior work in the federal government — as associate White House counsel to President George H.W. Bush and as a law clerk to former Judge Robert Bork.
"My entire background has been a conservative fighting for principles," he told the crowd of about 140. "I'm here to serve you and I'm a true conservative."
Randall, an accountant from West Valley City, put his focus on scaling back federal power — through elimination of some federal programs, privatization of others and putting some powers in the hands of states. He also said personal faith should figure in addressing the big issues of the day.
"We must have faith in God. We need to foster that," he said.
Tanner, who runs an educational technology company, Bookroo, noted his academic credentials and the importance of letting private business operators resolve some key issues through their innovations. He lives in Orangeville, Emery County, and earned a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, a law degree from Harvard Law School and a master's degree in history from Oxford University.
Phippen, a former staffer for Lee, also put a focus on what she sees as the importance of faith in God as the basis for the growth of the United States. She's from Draper.
Wilson, the former speaker of the Utah House until stepping down as a state representative last year to vie for the Senate, said he believes in personal responsibility and assuring the "proper narrow role" of government in people's lives. He also focused on his "proven track record" as a conservative in the Utah House, pushing for income tax cuts and legislation putting a check on the ability of transgender girls to take part in high school sports in Utah, among other things.
"The point is this — elect someone who has done the work," said Wilson, who's from Kaysville.
Herring, representing Curtis, focused on the legislation Curtis has been able to shepherd into law as a member of the U.S. House. Curtis, from Provo, represents Utah's 3rd District.
"John Curtis has passed 19 bills that have been signed into law," she said. "He is the most effective member of Congress I've seen in action."
Campaign finances
Viewing the race from the lens of money and the role it has in promoting a candidacy, Wilson has the edge. He had $2.07 million on hand as of Dec. 31, the end of the last Federal Election Commission reporting period, factoring in $1.8 million of his own money he loaned the campaign.
Next came Curtis with $1.08 million cash on hand. Staggs followed with $503,476 on hand, factoring in $90,000 he had loaned his campaign, $50,000 of it paid back.
Phippen had $29,496 on hand while the others didn't report any funds in the period through Dec. 31.
A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll in January showed that 52% of Utah voters were undecided on who they would vote for. Curtis was listed as the frontrunner, with 18% support, followed by Hatch at 14% and Wilson with 8%.
Trump, border, coal, bipartisanship
The hour-and-a-half forum covered a lot of ground, with the candidates touching on Trump, illegal immigration, funding for Ukraine and much more.
Staggs said if Trump had been president, Russia's invasion of Ukraine may not have happened. "With Trump we had strength on the world stage," but that's been lost under President Joe Biden, a Democrat, he said.
Tanner emphasized tapping coal before putting too much a focus on renewables, which he doesn't think are yet ready to supplant carbon-based energy on a large scale. "We need to rely (on coal) before we're ready to move to something else," he said.
All the hopefuls expressed support for more action to stop the flow of illegal immigrants across the southern U.S. border.
"There are far too many people here who are here illegally," Wilson said. He pointed a finger at Biden, saying he has the ability to clamp down on crossings via executive order.
Herring, Curtis' campaign chairwoman, senses inertia from both Democrats and Republicans in resolving the border issue. "It is too good of an election issue," she said.
Walton called for an end to the "catch and release" immigration policy — releasing immigrants after their capture pending their appearance in immigration court. Doing so would curtail the market for traffickers of undocumented immigrants, helping stall their inflows, he said.
Friedbaum expressed reticence about working with U.S. House Democrats to get legislation passed. Rather, he'd create a Senate Freedom Caucus to complement the House Freedom Caucus, a bloc of conservative lawmakers that has pushed back against even mainstream GOP initiatives. "I'm not really out to work with Democrats. I'm out to defeat them," Friedbaum said.
Three Democrats are also running for the U.S. Senate seat — Laird Hamblin, Caroline Gleich and Archie Williams III. Two Independent American Party candidates are also running, Robert Newcomb and Carlton Bowen. The Democratic and Independent American parties hold a party convention on April 27, the same day as Republicans, according to their websites.
