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SALT LAKE CITY — Gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Phil Lyman named attorney Natalie Clawson as his new running mate to replace Layne Bangerter, who was found ineligible by a judge on Friday.
"I am thrilled to be joined by Natalie in this campaign," Lyman, a Republican from Blanding, said in a statement released Saturday morning. "She brings an impressive skill set, connections, integrity, and experience to the office that will be vital as we move Utah back to the right direction."
Clawson earned her law degree from Brigham Young University and helped organize the Secure Vote Utah initiative, which sought to do away with universal mail-in voting in the state and require photo identification in order to register to vote or request a ballot. She is a resident of Highland.
"The energy surrounding Phil Lyman's campaign is contagious throughout the state," Clawson said. "I am honored to be part of it and can't wait to get to work. Utahns are done with politicians who don't listen. I will be a champion for parents and for individual rights. We are committed to supporting the values that make our state great."
Lyman won the Republican state nominating convention last Saturday with Bangerter as his running mate, but Bangerter quickly drew scrutiny as he lived in Idaho until 2021 — making him ineligible under the state Constitution that requires the governor and lieutenant governor to be residents of the state for five years "next preceding the election."
Bangerter and Lyman sued over what they called "ambiguity" in the language, arguing that because Bangerter lived in the state for nearly 30 years up until 1990, he qualified for the position. A judge on Friday rejected a request for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed ballots to be printed with Bangerter's name, and said the language in the Constitution requires candidates to reside in the state for the five years immediately preceding the election.
Lyman said he was "disappointed" with the ruling but promised to select a new running mate ahead of the deadline Monday afternoon.
Lyman and Clawson will now advance to a Republican primary on June 25 against Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who qualified for the ballot by collecting signatures.
