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SALT LAKE CITY – Utah is barely catching its breath from a bruising series of Republican primary elections with just two months to go until Election Day in November.
This year has already seen the most competitive GOP field for an open Senate seat in 30 years, the closest recount in a House race in decades, and an unusually difficult reelection bid for a sitting governor that led to an alliance between his failed primary challenger and the Democratic nominee — all before Labor Day.
But general election season has just begun.
Starting next week, GOP primary victors for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and gubernatorial elections in Utah will debate their Democratic opponents. By mid-October, voters will be receiving their mail-in ballots. And in 60 days, on Nov. 5, Election Day results will begin to roll in.
Here is a preview of Utah's biggest statewide and congressional races, as well as a review of the issues, endorsements and lawsuits that have made the 2024 election cycle stand out.
Who will fill Utah's open congressional seats?
This year, Utahns will be electing a new senator to replace Sen. Mitt Romney, who announced one year ago that he would not seek reelection after his first six-year term in office.
Republican Rep. John Curtis won the GOP primary, and is running against Democrat Caroline Gleich for U.S. Senate to take Romney's place. Curtis has represented Utah's 3rd Congressional District since 2017, following eight years as the mayor of Provo and a decade running a gun range manufacturing business. Gleich is a political newcomer with a background as a professional skier, climate lobbyist and online influencer.
Curtis' bid for Senate left his House seat open for the first time since former Rep. Jason Chaffetz resigned in 2017. Republican voters' pick to succeed Curtis in the 3rd Congressional District is state Sen. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine. The Democratic nominee is former Summit County Councilman Glenn Wright.
Kennedy is a family physician in Lindon and has served in the state legislature since 2020, where he said he represents roughly 20% of the 3rd District's population. Wright is a Vietnam War veteran and former insurance consultant who ran against Curtis in the 3rd District's 2022 general election.
Which incumbents are running for reelection?
Republican incumbents will defend their seats in Utah's remaining three congressional districts. Utah senior Sen. Mike Lee is not up for reelection this year.
- 1st Congressional District: Rep. Blake Moore will face his former GOP convention challenger — now registered as a Democrat — Bill Campbell.
- 2nd Congressional District: Rep. Celeste Maloy will face attorney Nathaniel Woodward.
- 4th Congressional District: Rep. Burgess Owens will face marketing professional Katrina Fallick-Wang.
The race for Utah governor will pit Gov. Spencer Cox against former Utah House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City. State Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, who lost to Cox in the GOP primary, is running as a write-in candidate.
Cox is finishing his first four-year term after serving seven years as lieutenant governor and as a state lawmaker, county commissioner and telecommunications executive before that. King is an attorney focusing on denied insurance claims who has served in the state House since 2009. Lyman is a certified public accountant who served as a San Juan County Commissioner before getting elected to the Utah House in 2018.
What do the polls say?
The winners of Utah's Republican Party primary elections are heavily favored to win in November.
A recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found that Curtis holds a 34-percentage-point lead over Gleich among registered Utah voters. When undecided voters were asked to choose between the two candidates, Curtis' lead grew to more than 40 percentage points.
The same was true of the gubernatorial race. Cox led King by 40 percentage points in a head-to-head contest, the poll found. His hypothetical winning margin increased by four percentage points when undecided voters indicated which direction they leaned.
Given these polling results, in a state that regularly elects Republicans by a 20 or 30-point margin, it is unlikely that Utah voters will see any surprises in the general election. Lyman's write-in effort — despite featuring a viral ad with King — appears unlikely to make the race competitive, let alone change the outcome, according to state lawmakers and experienced GOP operatives.
What are the top issues?
Congressional candidates in Utah have focused their messages on the national issues they think Utah voters are most concerned about. But that emphasis varies widely between Republican and Democratic candidates.
Senate race: Curtis has touted his productive tenure in Congress, promising to continue working on clean energy innovation, state control of public lands and reforms to costly federal welfare programs. Gleich vows to take a more aggressive approach on climate issues through "systemic" investments in renewable energy sources. She has also messaged heavily on abortion access.
3rd District race: Kennedy has said he would tackle federal deficits by rightsizing government healthcare programs and would support enhanced border security measures. Wright also sees national debt as an issue, but wants to start by increasing tax revenue. He has prioritized a message of bodily autonomy on abortion and transgender treatments and has said the U.S. should allow more legal immigration.
In June, a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found that Beehive State voters are most worried about the country's economic trajectory. When asked which issues were most impactful to their vote, 24% of Utahns said inflation, 21% said jobs, 13% said immigration and 11% said "family values, morality, or faith."
