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- President Donald Trump endorsed Rob Axson for Utah GOP chair over Phil Lyman, a vocal supporter of Trump.
- Trump said Axson "has dedicated his life to the Republican Party."
- GOP delegates will decide the race during the party's organizing convention on May 17.
SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump weighed in on the race to lead the Utah Republican Party, backing incumbent Rob Axson over former state lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman.
Axson has led the state party since 2023 and has promoted his vision for growing a big-tent GOP in the state if he's picked to lead for another two years. Trump threw his weight behind Axson — a former staffer to Utah Sen. Mike Lee — in typical fashion through a post on Truth Social.
"Republicans in Utah have the opportunity to Re-Elect a FANTASTIC Chairman!" the president posted. "Robert Axson has dedicated his life to the Republican Party, and the Great State of Utah. He is Strongly Supported by many, including Highly Respected Senator Mike Lee, and Governor Spencer Cox. Robert Axson has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Chairman of the Utah Republican Party — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
Lyman has been one of the most vocal supporters of Trump in Utah, both as a state lawmaker from Blanding and as a challenger to Cox last year — often adapting Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan to "Make Utah Great Again," or "MUGA."
Lyman won the GOP delegate vote last year, but lost to Cox in the Republican primary, after the incumbent qualified for the ballot by collecting signatures.
After being convicted of leading an illegal ATV protest ride through an archaeologically sensitive canyon in southern Utah, Lyman was pardoned by Trump in the waning days of his first presidency in 2020. But he appeared unbothered by Trump's endorsement of his GOP opponent.
"Reminder — MAGA is about America — and I love it. My support for Donald Trump is not contingent on his support for me. We have work to do," he posted on X, repeating his claim that Cox cheated during the 2024 election.
The Utah Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit last year by Lyman accusing the governor and lieutenant governor of "malfeasance" in allowing Cox to appear on the primary ballot. That lawsuit also sought to have the primary results nullified and have Cox thrown out of office.
The race to lead the dominant political party in the state will be decided by the several thousand Republican delegates at the party's organizing convention in Orem on Saturday, May 17.
