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SALT LAKE CITY — The first debate between Gov. Gary Herbert and two of his fellow Republican challengers was announced Friday. The debate will be held April 11, nearly two weeks before the state GOP convention.
Both Overstock.com Chairman Jonathan Johnson and self-described grass-roots candidate Nate Jensen will join the governor on stage. The fourth GOP candidate in the race, Carlos Tavares Jr., declined to participate.
Johnson, who has long sought debates with the governor, said Friday he hopes to highlight their differences "in style, thought process and action" for convention delegates as well as voters in the state's June primary election.
Jensen said he is a "passionate conservative" running to offer voters a chance to get off the "left-wing path" set by the governor through support of Medicaid expansion and other positions.
Herbert's campaign manager, Marty Carpenter, told KSL Newsradio's "The Doug Wright Show" that the governor will talk about the state's strong economy and other achievements as well as what he still wants to accomplish in office.
Related:
Jonathan Johnson kicking off campaign for Utah governor
For Jennifer Parr, Tuesday evening's campaign kickoff party for Jonathan Johnson was an opportunity for her and her husband to hear why he's running against fellow Republican Gov. Gary Herbert.The Utah Federation of Republican Women is hosting the debate at the Little America Hotel. Wright and Sutherland Institute President Boyd Matheson will moderate.
"We're really excited. We think it's the most highly anticipated debate of this political season in Utah," the president of the federation, Kathleen Anderson, said. She said the debate is a fundraiser for the Republican women's group.
Tickets to attend the debate, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on April 11, are available online for $27.37 each. The debate will also be broadcast live on KSL Newsradio.
It won't be the first time that Herbert and Johnson have appeared together. They participated recently in a Utah Foundation event featuring the leading Republican and Democratic candidates for governor.
