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Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is Mike Lee the establishment now? Here's why some Lyman Republicans think so
The state GOP convention on Saturday cracked a faction of the Utah Republican Party that had held firm for more than a decade. Utah Sen. Mike Lee — the party's favorite product of the caucus system since his 2010 upset — took the stage to endorse his longtime friend, Rob Axson, for reelection as GOP chair. 'I'm here, not to tell you how to vote, but to ask for your help,' Lee told the 2,600 delegates in attendance. 'I can't think of anyone who has done more to mobilize and unify our delegate base.' By the time he stepped down Lee had become, in the minds of at least a few of the most fervent grassroots activists, a player in what they consider to be the state's establishment machine. How Lee, one of the most consistently conservative lawmakers in Congress, could be viewed as an enemy by part of the GOP base came down to his repeated support for opponents of former state lawmaker Phil Lyman. Over the course of a year, Lyman's unsuccessful bid for governor, noted for its unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and its historic write-in results, drew the zealous devotion of many of the party's most engaged members. In that race, too, Lee endorsed the incumbent, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, to the disappointment of Lyman, who began reposting messages on X calling for Lee to lose in a primary. (Lyman later said this was a mistake by his campaign staff.) But it was Lee's appearance at the convention that proved the tipping point for some of Lyman's most loyal defenders, who were, until then, also counted among Lee's most outspoken advocates. In the hours and days following the convention, the most common posts on X referencing the senator were those criticizing him for his endorsement of Axson — who defeated Lyman with 52.4% of the vote. 'I absolutely believe Mike Lee should be primaried,' said Sophie Anderson, a state delegate from Davis County and one of Lyman's most dedicated volunteers. Anderson said she is a member of dozens of group chats with fellow party activists where there is a 'sizable number' of people who feel the same way about Lee as she does. While Anderson believes that Lee started out in Congress committed to reflecting the party grassroots, she said that over time the 'pressures of the establishment' have made Lee part of 'the establishment.' But much of Utah's Republican Party would say that Lee's 14 years in the Senate show the opposite. Few lawmakers have put up greater barriers to government spending increases, pushed harder against taxpayer funded abortions and pressured leadership more to follow proper budget processes than Lee. There is 'no daylight' between Lee and the most conservative wing of the Utah Republican Party, despite some hurt feelings caused by the GOP leadership race, according to Lee's chief strategist, Dan Hauser. Lee remains friends with most of Lyman's closest supporters, Hauser said, even as some of the 'inner circle' of Lyman's campaign have come out on social media to call Lee 'the establishment' — a claim Hauser considers laughable. 'If the most conservative senator in the nation — who wants to starve off the special interest groups that (the Department of Government Efficiency) found guilty of $100s of billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse, while also trying to shrink the size and scope of the government — is now establishment, then God bless America and the strong future that is coming," Hauser said. Regardless of how small or large the faction is of Lee's newfound critics, their reaction to the convention reveals something about the trajectory of conservative politics in the state, said Jason Perry, director of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. There appears to be a shift 'within the MAGA movement itself,' which may be overrepresented on social media, that judges candidates by an evolving definition of what it means to be 'anti-establishment' instead of their conservative track record, according to Perry. 'No one really looks at Mike Lee and thinks that he has not been a leader in the conservative space,' Perry said. 'But to some of those Lyman supporters, that is not enough.' Spencer Stokes, president of lobbying firm Stokes Strategies and Lee's former chief of staff, said he has never seen a senator make themselves more available to delegates than Lee. For example, throughout his tenure, Lee has never changed his personal phone number and he has remained more consistent in his ideological stances than most politicians, Stokes said, calling Lee 'the most principled elected official that I've seen in my lifetime.' 'He is anything but an establishment candidate,' Stokes said. 'If you say that, you somewhat lose your credibility in the social media world you're in, because I don't think there's anybody in the state of Utah that would call Mike Lee an establishment candidate.' Stokes doubts that Lee will face a legitimate challenge from his right in 2028 because it would be nearly impossible to find a conservative 'more dedicated to their cause than Mike Lee.' But that doesn't mean someone won't challenge Lee from what Stokes called 'the fringe." While social media algorithms often exaggerate extreme viewpoints, Mitt Romney's former chief of staff Matt Waldrip said not to underestimate the ability of pro-Lyman delegates to shape the state GOP. 'The active party members do have influence on what happens in the party around the state, and everyone capitulates to them in one way or another,' Waldrip said. 'So it actually does matter that you have these people that are torn up about this.' And Waldrip doesn't see the criticisms of Lee as stemming purely from anger over his endorsement of Lyman's opponents. It is true that with the rise of President Donald Trump officials like Lee have become something of an 'establishment,' Waldrip said, and there are real ways in which Lee has strayed from the priorities of the GOP base. Unlike with past massive spending packages, Waldrip pointed out, Lee has remained relatively quite on the 'big, beautiful bill' making its way through Congress which could increase the federal debt by $4-7 trillion over the next decade. Lee previously made a name for himself arguing that Congress had ceded too much power to the executive branch, Waldrip said. But Lee has not come out in opposition to Trump's flurry of executive orders, including his actions on tariffs, which Lee introduced a bill in 2021 to prevent. But for one conservative influencer in Utah, the entire debate around Lee is evidence that 'the conservative movement in Utah seems to be falling apart at the seams.' Following the convention, Eric Moutsos, who posts prolifically about what he proudly calls 'conspiracy theories,' said that despite having some disagreements with Lee, Lyman and other prominent conservatives, he will never attack them publicly. 'Does this mean I will necessarily vote for any of them in certain races? It does not,' Moutsos said, adding, 'To me real conservatism also means being smart enough not to go after people who share the majority of your values and beliefs.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Republican Party sticks with ‘bridge builder' Rob Axson as chair; Lyman loses
Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson, running for reelection, speaks with delegates during the party's organizing convention at Utah Valley University on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) The Utah GOP's state delegates have charted the next chapter for the state's dominant political party — sticking with an incumbent who characterized himself as a 'bridge builder' rather than a burner. With nearly 67% turnout during their organizing convention at Utah Valley University in Orem on Saturday, 2,645 Utah Republican Party state delegates voted to reelect Rob Axson as their party chair, handing another loss to his challenger and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman. Axson won with about 54% (1,430 votes), to Lyman's nearly 46% (1,215 votes), according to the party's election results. The vote settled what many delegates considered a toss-up contest — but Axson won with a healthy majority. Though Lyman and his 'Make Utah Great Again' campaign was given a warm reception with loud cheers from passionate supporters, Axson was a formidable incumbent, buoyed by an endorsement from President Donald Trump about a week before the convention. To Axson, his victory showed delegates 'want to see more' of what he's started in the Utah Republican Party. 'They want to see additional momentum. They want to see growth,' Axson told reporters after his win. 'They've seen what I've delivered over the last two years … and that is now the new foundation. Let's build from there.' Axson — who championed his fundraising record as chair of the party since 2023 and framed himself as a 'bridge builder' rather than a burner — was also endorsed by other Utah Republican Party heavyweights, including Sen. Mike Lee and other Utahns in Congress, as well as high-ranking state leaders including House Speaker Mike Schultz, and former party chair Carson Jorgensen. Axson or Lyman? Utah Republican delegates to elect their next leader Lyman, on the other hand, campaigned against the 'establishment,' continuing a barrage of unsubstantiated claims that he peddled during his unsuccessful bid last year against Gov. Spencer Cox that there's 'corruption' and election fraud in Utah government. In the end, though, delegates signaled they liked the track Axson has put the party on over the last two years, while they rejected Lyman's pitch for a more combative — perhaps even unlawful — future GOP. While challenging Axson for party chair, Lyman painted himself as a leader who would position the Utah GOP to more aggressively assert its capability to select Republican nominees rather than follow SB54, a 2014 state law that allows a dual path to the primary through both the caucus and convention process and through signature gathering. Though Axson also agreed Utah Republicans should continue fighting SB54, he disagreed with taking Lyman's approach, which Axson argued would amount to breaking the law. Instead, Axson said the party should focus on working with the Utah Legislature to change the law. During his speech, Axson told delegates that SB54 'still undermines the principles of our party.' However, he also said 'the law is the law, and claiming otherwise is not a strategy for success, no matter how loudly you do so.' 'We must repeal SB54, but we cannot unless we are united,' he said. 'We can't beat SB54 if we spend all our time beating one another.' Without naming Lyman during his speech, Axson said there's a 'clear difference between me and others: I am not willing to break the law, especially to break the law in a way that will jeopardize our Republican candidates and force them to get signatures instead of leaning into the delegate process that we all believe in.' Axson also touted the endorsement from Trump, along with support from members of Utah's congressional delegation and others. 'Ultimately if we want to be successful beyond the next 20 years, if we hope to bring the next generation into the Republican Party, we must build,' he said. Lyman, during his speech, didn't specifically address SB54 or specifics about his vision as party leader, but he focused on his philosophical stance for a government that 'belongs to the people.' 'I wish that I lived in 1765 back in Boston,' Lyman said, adding that if he did, 'I would have been a member of the Sons of Liberty,' referring to a secretive and sometimes violent political organization in the 13 American Colonies that worked to fight taxation by the British government. 'I would have been there in 1770 when the Boston Massacre occurred, I would have been there in 1773 when the (Boston) Tea Party took place,' Lyman said. 'Because those people were pushing back against the government that did not have their interests at heart. That's what we're about.' Lyman said the Sons of Liberty were 'called all kinds of horrible names too, including bridge burners, but they actually burned bridges to impede the direction of their enemy.' Lyman also issued a call to action to unite Utah Republicans, regardless of the outcome of the race for GOP chair. 'From this point, we will be united,' he said. 'I will stand behind Rob Axson. He's a friend of mine. I love Donald Trump, he's my president. I've supported him. I appreciate Sen. Lee. … I recognize their efforts, I support them.' But Lyman concluded his speech by telling delegates 'this is a time for you.' 'This is your party. The Republican Party is yours. And today you will decide what direction this party takes,' he said, to loud cheers. On full display throughout the convention was Republican delegates' continued hatred of SB54. Utah lawmakers passed the law more than 10 years ago as a compromise to ward off a looming ballot initiative to do away with the caucus and convention system altogether in favor of signature gathering. But ever since, Utah Republican Party caucus system loyalists have despised the law, even though it's survived multiple court challenges that almost drove the Utah GOP to bankruptcy. It's become one of the largest wedges dividing Utah Republicans, and Republicans' strategy to continue fighting it was at the heart of the contest between Axson and Lyman. But if there was an early indication that most delegates weren't in favor of taking a scorched earth approach to challenge SB54 further, one of the first votes they took Saturday morning was to strip from the agenda a proposed amendment to the party's constitution that would temporarily revoke a Republican candidate's party membership if they gain access to the ballot through signature gathering rather than through the caucus and convention system. State law specifies two types of political parties: registered parties and qualified political parties. Candidates of registered parties must use signature gathering to access the ballot, while candidates of qualified parties (a designation the Utah GOP currently functions under), can either gather signatures or be nominated at convention. Utah law does not have a designation that lets parties only allow ballot access through nomination. If the state GOP's proposed amendment to strip a candidate's party membership for using a legal pathway to the ballot had passed, it would have violated state law and possibly could have led to yet another court challenge. The amendment's sponsor, Arnold Gaunt, motioned to remove it from the agenda, saying 'there's a better path for responding to the problem.' Axson told reporters that he's 'not a fan' of SB54 and the signature gathering path, but he focused his message on 'not lawsuits, not division, not purity tests. It's building something that can't be ignored.' 'If we build an apparatus that every Utahn and every community feels that there's a value in that, well they're going to come along with us,' Axson said. 'They're going to be supportive of what we're trying to do, and the Legislature is going to listen to that.' Axson said his preference would be for the Legislature to repeal SB54. Pressed on whether that's a real possibility, he told reporters 'the votes are there in the House' while they're 'not there yet in the Senate.' 'But it can't be a vitriolic conversation. It's not threats. It has to be a conversation that's transparent and up front and collaborative,' Axson said. 'If we can show the value of what the Republican Party is doing … and trying to grow and build additional capacity, we make it a lot easier on these elected officials to take the hard votes of repealing SB54.' However, Axson acknowledged 'it's going to take some time.' 'How long or how short that is, I don't know,' Axson said. 'But I do know we have in our ability the opportunity to build a strong party, and that will be a benefit in repealing SB54 or solving other complex issues.' The morning of the convention, Axson's predecessor, former Utah GOP Chair Carson Jorgensen, was chatting up delegates wearing an Axson button on his shirt. He said Axson is the right leader for the party, lauding him as a proven organizer and fundraiser who helped bring the party out of bankruptcy after multiple failed legal challenges of SB54. Jorgensen said Axson will take the right approach by focusing on working with lawmakers to strengthen the caucus-convention system rather than more lawsuits. Are delegates in touch with Utah voters? Survey reveals where they 'align and diverge' 'I like Phil personally as a friend, I think he's a nice guy,' Jorgensen said. 'But here's the thing. There are three ways we're going to navigate SB54, and only three. One is the lawsuit route. We've tried it. It doesn't work. Phil is 0 for 5 on lawsuits. The party can't afford another lawsuit.' Jorgensen said the next option is a 'legislative fix,' which requires a 'relationship with the Legislature.' 'Sorry, but Phil has burned every — every — bridge he had with any legislator,' Jorgensen said. The last option, he said, is the party opts to hold its own primary. 'What does that take? Money,' Jorgensen said. 'If the party's going to hold their own primary, they've got to fund it. We figure between $1.5 and $3 million to run it. Rob has shown he can raise that kind of money.' So Axson has 'two of the three that need to happen, and Phil doesn't have any,' Jorgensen concluded. 'That's why I support Rob.' Jorgensen also issued a call to Utah Republicans to set their differences aside and coalesce behind the new chair. 'Everybody needs to get back on the same page. This has been a pretty toxic election,' he said, adding that someone recently called him an 'establishment RHINO hack.' To that, he said, 'you obviously don't know me and you're on the wrong side of things, because you don't find anybody more conservative than I am.' Utah's SB54 still stands despite 10 years of angst. Will lawmakers change it? Another Axson supporter seen mingling with delegates was House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, who was also acting as a delegate Saturday. He told Utah News Dispatch that he'd be voting for Axson for party chair 'because we need somebody to bring all sides together.' 'That's what we do in the Legislature,' Schultz said. 'We have to work to find common ground.' Why not Lyman? Schultz declined to comment, focusing his remarks instead on his support of Axson. Trump's endorsement of Axson, Schultz said, indicates Trump 'has noticed something different about Utah.' 'He has embraced Utah and sees Utah as being able to help push the agenda that he's pushing on a nationwide level,' Schultz said. 'I think that's why you saw President Trump chime in and say, what you're doing in Utah is working, stick with it.' Schultz added that Utah Republicans need to realize 'if we split up our party, we lose.' 'If the party gets split, it's the best thing that can happen for Democrats in the state of Utah,' he said. 'So finding ways to keep the party together keeps Utah Republican, it keeps Utah conservative. That's what President Trump sees and that's why I'm supporting Rob Axson.' Pressed on efforts to repeal SB54, Schultz told Utah News Dispatch he and lawmakers are open to working with the Utah Republican Party to find a path forward that's focused on strengthening the caucus and convention system — but he also warned that completely undoing SB54 could have negative consequences. 'Count My Vote has been very open and saying that they will run a ballot initiative that does away with the caucus convention altogether,' he said. 'I think that would be very harmful to the grassroots of our party.' Schultz added: 'I love the caucus convention system because it does keep money out of politics. So I would like to look for ways to make the caucus and convention system stronger and get their people involved in the caucus and convention system.' 'That is a good pathway forward,' he said, but he didn't offer any specifics of what that could look like in legislative action. 'I truly don't know,' he said, 'but I think we need to understand the consequences of (undoing SB54). We look at the polling, and it's not even close. If it goes to ballot initiative, we lose the caucus and convention system. And I think that would be horrible. I would rather find ways to make the caucus and convention system stronger.' Wearing a maroon MUGA hat in support of Lyman, Tiffany Mendenhall, of Ivins, said she was all in favor of Lyman for chair. Signature audit finds 'some errors' — but Cox still ultimately qualified for primary 'Lyman has our best interest at heart,' she said, adding that she didn't like the outcome of the governor's race last year and the direction the Utah GOP has been heading. 'Phil is very well aware of what's going on with all the crookedness and all of that stuff. He intends to get us back to more traditional voting methods so that there's no fraud.' Though Utah's election was certified and Cox legally qualified as a Republican candidate before he went on to win the election, Mendenhall said she believed the governor's race was 'absolutely stolen,' arguing he 'didn't have the signatures.' While signature gathering audits did find 'some errors' and that based on statistical error rates Cox could have initially fallen short of the 28,000-signature requirement, auditors also reported that had clerks told him he hadn't qualified (which they didn't), he would have had 28 days more days to submit enough signatures. Ultimately, the audits concluded Cox followed the law and qualified for the primary. Mendenhall, however, stood firm on the false claim that Lyman has repeatedly pushed throughout both his gubernatorial and Utah GOP chair campaigns — that Cox was an illegitimate candidate and 'stole' the election. 'You can't tell us that it wasn't. And so how can we feel that we have a fair election when our governor in charge is a cheat?' Mendenhall said. She argued Axson hasn't done enough to challenge what happened during the governor's race. 'He hasn't stood up to take care of this. This shouldn't have happened.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
LIVE BLOG: Utah GOP Convention results
This post is a live blog. Updates regarding the GOP Convention will be added throughout the day. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Republican Party is convening its 2025 State Organizing Convention today, May 17, at Utah Valley University in Orem. The convention was officially called to order at 10:30 a.m. A primary focus of the convention is the election for state party chair, featuring incumbent Rob Axson and challenger Phil Lyman. Axson has served since 2023 and has been endorsed by President Trump and Senator Mike Lee. Lyman is a former state legislator and gubernatorial candidate. SURVEY RESULTS: Utah GOP delegates asked about stripping party membership from signature-gathering candidates Delegates will also vote on amendments to the party constitution. Outcomes of today's convention are expected to significantly impact the Utah GOP moving forward. 11:08 a.m. — Delegates have decided to move up voting on all the party business forward to the agenda right after the chair vote. A big round of applause for that proposal, and it passes. 11:20 a.m. — Delegates have decided not to vote on the amendment that would have stripped party membership from signature-gathering candidates. This has been pulled from the agenda. 11:24 a.m. — Here is the agenda with links to the proposals (minus stripping party membership, amendment #7 — delegates pulled that.) Business is taking place before the elections of the chair, so there's a lot of participation. 11:36 a.m. — Delegates approve amendment #1, allowing them to change their party platform at any convention. That means they can adopt them in nominating years and organizing years, so every year instead of every two years (there's typically higher turnout in voting years). 11:38 a.m. — Delegates vote to change their fiscal year from July – July to October – October. They say that will give newly elected officers more time to budget better after they're elected in April – May. 11:44 a.m. — Delegates shoot down a proposal to make their precincts defined by the county parties and not the state. Delegates tried to argue that they should not be locked into precincts for caucus or delegate allocation that are defined by a government entity, especially if that entity is a member of the democrat party (or another different party) and does not have their best interests in mind. 11:53 a.m. — Another precinct proposal — allowing county parties to combine adjacent government precincts in order to create a larger party precincts — fails. 12 p.m. — A proposal on how the party calculates the number of delegates in a precinct fails. 12:12 p.m. — The party passes a proposal that a person seeking to run as a state Republican candidate for a partisan elected office must 'demonstrate continuous voter registration with Republican Party affiliation for the previous year.' The sponsor of the amendment also alleges that a democrat registered as a republican to fill a vacancy. It also would have impacted Rep. Celeste Maloy when she ran for office because her voter registration wasn't up to date when she filed to run for office. 12:33 p.m. — A proposal to lower the threshold of the state central committee — the governing body of the delegates — fails. This is a proposal that some see as a way to make it easier to change the direction of the party. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How the Utah GOP convention will decide the fate of party unity
Utah Republican Party delegates will decide Saturday if the state GOP will launch a war against elected officials, election outcomes and the primary process. The local party volunteers will vote on an amendment that would change party rules to expel candidates who use signatures to get on the ballot. They will also vote on how the next party chair should advance the decade-old project to remove the signature option completely. For many of the 4,000 state delegates, the race for party chair between incumbent Rob Axson and former lawmaker Phil Lyman signifies much more than the typical partisan spat. It represents a fundamental disagreement about whether the state's trajectory demands radical disruption of the status quo or continued collaboration with leaders across the Republican Party spectrum. Both candidates have expressed support for President Donald Trump while touting their MAGA bonafides but offer different visions for the best strategy to keep Utah red. Mediating party member disagreements, partnering with the Legislature and launching record-breaking fundraising and get-out-the-vote operations have been the hallmarks of Axson's two years in office that he promises to repeat if reelected. Alleging unsubstantiated corruption, rooting out the influence of so-called RINOs and rejecting compromise defined Lyman's recent gubernatorial campaign which he has morphed into a bid for chair as he prepares to run for governor again in 2028. Hanging over Saturday's vote is Trump's endorsement of Axson which has been framed by some as a vindication of Axson's leadership and by others as proof of establishment subterfuge. Regardless of who they support, the delegates who spoke with the Deseret News agree that the outcome of the party chair election will shape the future of the Utah Republican Party for the next two years and the character of Utah conservatism beyond that. Since 2014, Republicans have fought over the passage of SB54. The infamous law was — according to the policymakers involved — an effort to prevent the elimination of Utah's unique caucus convention system. It combined the convention candidate nomination process with a signature-gathering path to qualify for primary elections in order to stave off a ballot initiative that threatened to take primaries out of party hands completely. Multiple GOP chairs have since sought to repeal the law through legislative action and legal challenges, arguing that it violates the party's right of association and enables big-money candidates. Axson and Lyman both want to return candidate selection to party insiders. But delegates view the two prospective chairs as diverging on what they are willing to do to make this happen. 'The selection process is at the heart of this chairman's race,' said Don Guymon, the chair of the Davis County Republican Party. 'Who's best (positioned) to see if we can repeal SB54 is probably one of the central questions of the election.' While Axson has said that legislators must reverse the policy which courts have upheld on several occasions, Lyman has said he will do whatever it takes to block the path of candidates who gather signatures. On Tuesday, Lyman said he would fight back against policies the GOP disagrees with, including the dual-pathway primary system, through 'nullification,' a theory that argues that an authority can ignore laws it deems to be unconstitutional. 'The GOP is the 800-pound gorilla in the room but we refuse to flex our muscle,' Lyman said. 'I'm done with the notion that we are weak.' Following the chair election, delegates are scheduled to vote on a proposed amendment to the GOP party constitution that would revoke the party membership for one year of any candidate who pursues signature qualification. Taylor Morgan, executive director of Count My Vote, the group partially responsible for the state's signature primary path, told the Deseret News the party has tried SB54 workarounds like this before to no avail. 'It's a shameful and desperate attempt to prop up the party's failing caucuses and conventions,' Morgan said. 'Count My Vote remains committed to our mission and is prepared to take action to ensure that all Utah voters will continue to have a voice in our elections.' If the party moves forward with these limitations on signature gathering it could spell the end of its official party status in general elections and the end of the convention nominating process, according to Stan Lockhart, former GOP chair from 2007-2009. SB54 outlines that for a party to officially nominate someone to the general election it must allow candidates to qualify for a primary through both party conventions and gathering signatures. Lockhart recognizes that Lyman's 'more militant' style resonates with some delegates. But he said it is much easier to claim something is unconstitutional during a campaign than it is to actually go against court rulings. 'You can win the battle and lose the war,' Lockhart said. 'If you go down the Phil Lyman route, I believe that will trigger a new initiative, then the Republican Party has to bet on the fact that the voters are going to want less of a say in elections, not more of a say, in order to keep the caucus convention system.' Lyman and his wing of the party view SB54 as a symptom of a much broader problem that they believe has brought the state to the precipice of permanently losing what makes it great. At the center of this diagnosis is what Lyman has called 'the establishment,' or the cast of elected officials he claims have allowed 'liberal' policies on immigration, spending, elections and DEI to infiltrate the state. Lyman did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. Sophie Anderson, a state delegate from Davis County and one of Lyman's most dedicated supporters, said everything about the race for chair comes down to the establishment vs. anti-establishment dichotomy. 'That's what this race is about,' Anderson said. 'Do we want the status quo establishment candidate? Or do we want the anti-establishment breaking through the barriers that will eventually revive our party in Phil Lyman?' Even Axson's endorsement from Trump — which precipitated endorsements from convention favorites Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Burgess Owens and state lawmakers — is simply evidence that 'the establishment is terrified of a Phil Lyman GOP chairmanship,' according to Anderson. But Axson, having spent his career working for Lee and advocating for conservative policies as an activist, said it was 'laughable to be called 'establishment.'' The contentious nature of the chair election is representative of 'undercurrents that have been there for a long time' in the party, according to Axson, but he said the healthy debate ends as soon as delegates resort to 'name calling.' Axson said his endorsement from Trump, which came amid several state chair and congressional endorsements, showed that the president recognized his track record of blowing past party fundraising records and sending money and volunteers to help Trump and other candidates win elections in Arizona and Nevada. 'I think it goes to show the power of being collaborative as a team to try to get past the finish line,' Axson said. 'My focus is for the Utah Republican Party to win by elevating and growing its strength and relevance to benefit our state for years to come. This is not a placeholder as I run for other office.' Don Willie, founder of the political consulting firm Epicenter Strategies, said Utah's senior senator 'obviously ... played a critical role' in Axson's endorsement from Trump. Willie, who has worked closely with GOP national committeeman Brad Bonham for years, said the endorsement will have a 'big impact' on delegates because it bursts the assumption that Lyman is the default 'MAGA candidate' and highlights Axson's relationship with national players. Michelle Tanner, a state delegate and St. George city councilwoman, said the endorsement speaks to Axson's broad support from the grassroots on up to the White House. But more than that, Tanner said, it shows he can build lasting coalitions with an actual resume of party victories that benefit the party as a whole, not just one faction. 'We can't truly have the best things rise to the top if we can't feel comfortable having that open dialogue and knowing that we have a leader of our party who is not out there burning bridges but is out there learning how to build more bridges,' Tanner said. 'We want our movement to be growing, not dwindling down to a select few narrow viewpoints.' Alexis Ence, a member of the GOP's governing body, the State Central Committee, said both Axson and Lyman are both authentic conservatives. The distinction comes down to the role of a leader. Despite his personal views, a football coach's job is to resolve problems behind the scenes and not to 'trash players publicly' because that 'damages the whole team,' Ence said. Carolina Herrin, a state delegate with multiple other positions within the party, said Axson has followed through with his promise of 'putting Utah on the map.' Herrin supports Axson for reelection because she thinks the party should maintain this momentum which she fears would be lost under a chair with Lyman's approach to party politics. 'We need someone who is able to work at all levels with every type of individual and not pick and choose who they feel is more conservative than others,' Herrin said. Mackey Smith, a central committee member and the former chair for Utah Young Republicans, said he has heard from many delegates who supported Lyman for governor but do not want him elected as chair. While Lyman's rhetoric is in line with what many delegates are hungry for, Smith said, there is a recognition that to bring about desired changes the chair needs a working relationship with the Legislature like Axson has. Yemi Arunsi, a state delegate and former Davis County chair, said Axson has gone the extra mile in providing support for local parties and candidates. Arunsi called Axson's endorsement from Trump a 'game changer' for the party that reveals how Utah's influence has grown within the national GOP under Axson. This growth, according to Arunsi, is attributed to an approach that welcomes a diverse group of Republicans. 'Whomever it is in the leadership position, if that individual is not ready to to bring the party together, then I think we will start seeing an exit of Republicans that support the party,' Arunsi said. On Saturday, party delegates will hear remarks from Axson and Lyman, as well as candidates for GOP secretary, before a leadership vote. Delegates will meet at the Utah Valley University's UCCU Center where there will also be a U.S. Senate panel with Lee and Sen. John Curtis, and a U.S. House panel with Owens and Reps. Blake Moore, Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy. Additionally, there will be a statewide officials panel with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Attorney General Derek Brown, Auditor Tina Cannon, Treasurer Marlo Oaks, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Delegate survey gives peek into Utah GOP Chair race
SALT LAKE CITY () — Days before Utah Republican Party delegates are set to convene at a state convention widely viewed as a litmus test for the direction of the party, a new text survey is providing insights into where the race for chairman stands. A text sent to Republican Party state delegates and alternate delegates commissioned by signature-backers (CMV) shows that, of those that responded, 59.06% support Rob Axson. 39.7% supported Phil Lyman, and 1.24% were undecided. CMV successfully delivered 3,974 texts to delegates with 403 respondents, however, there is no way to know whether each of those delegates will be attending Saturday's May 17 convention, although respondents self-identified that they were planning to attend. It's also worth noting that CMV is the backer of the successful 2014 compromise that ushered in signature gathering and Utah's dual path to the ballot — something delegates, generally, are still sour over. CMV says they are issuing a series of 'educational' texts in the coming weeks to gauge how Republican delegates and leaders feel about the dual path. Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs appointed to join Trump administration This text, sent the morning of May 15, identified Count My Vote as the sender and simply asked, 'Which Utah Republican Chair candidate do you plan to vote for this weekend? 1-Phil Lyman, or 2- Rob Axson.' While the survey might not be an exact representation of how those attending the convention will vote and was not sent by a pollster, it is the most up-to-date and relevant information available on where delegates eligible to vote stand on the key chair vote — seen as a battle between the factions of the state's dominant political party. 'I am working my tail off trying to meet with every delegate possible and earn every vote,' Axson said in response to the poll numbers. 'I will leave it in their hands and in the process.' Lyman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither candidate had any affiliation with the poll. WATCH: Senator John Curtis' calls for 'wildly honest' conversations in maiden Senate floor speech Perhaps the most stark difference between the two candidates is over the candidate ballot access compromise of 2014, still known by its bill name, S.B. 54. Both candidates want to abolish S.B. 54 and the signature path to the ballot, however, Phil Lyman has championed a harsher approach, saying that candidates who don't support the caucus system should be stripped of party membership. 'Anyone who advocates to get rid of the caucus system, or who takes steps to weaken the caucus system, should be removed from the Republican Party in Utah. Candidates should have to earn the 'R' next to their name,' Lyman wrote on X Thursday. Axson has said he wants to work legislatively to repeal S.B. 54, saying at a recent debate that he's 'not willing to break the law,' which requires the party allow for the dual path in order to keep what's known as its Qualified Political Party (QPP) status — which the state requires for them to put candidates on ballot which is paid for and administered by the state. It's unclear whether either candidate directly supports the proposal from delegates that would strip party membership from candidates who gather signatures, though each has hinted at it. Lyman has said he wants to prioritize the party running its own primary, independent of the state. Attorney General files appeal to Utah Fits All ruling 'This one change, with elections managed at the precinct level instead of the Lt Governor's office, will have a profound influence on the future of our state. If we're going to fundraise, let it be for this,' Lyman wrote in a letter to delegates posted on X. When asked about the proposal directly, Axson told ABC4 he wanted to remain neutral as the current chair, who may end up leading the meeting during that vote. 'I have always been a believer that we get more off of bringing people together rather than chasing people away,' Axson said while defending the delegates for bringing the proposal forward. Axson has recently been . Lyman is popular among the delegates and , but lost his bid for governor in the primary, and also lost as a write-in candidate in the general. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
