Phil Lyman looks to spoil the Utah governor's race with never-say-die bid from the right.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Two Rights
Utah Democrats and maybe most other Utah voters are questioning their very existence after the latest comments from presumptive gubernatorial spoiler Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding. Lyman is indignant after "losing" the Republican nomination and his outrage knows no bounds. While mounting a write-in campaign, Lyman says Spencer Cox didn't really collect enough signatures to make the ballot, that Cox is a tool for "the Left" and—wait for it—is too woke to be governor of this conservative state. Cox has a tendency "towards Left-leaning, globalist policy and embrace of Leftist culture." Just ask Tucker Carlson who helped Lyman expose the governor's socialist agenda. After all, Cox described his pronouns to some young people, endorsed the Democratic Salt Lake City mayor in a nonpartisan race, and more. Hanging onto his 67% win in the fringe GOP convention, Lyman sued and lost at the Supreme Court while charging Lt. Gov. Diedre Henderson with malfeasance. But back to wokeness—far-right Republicans must have a secret definition of the term if Cox exemplifies it.
Miss: In Moderation
Until Donald Trump's close encounter with a flying bullet, Cox was seen as moderate-ish. Now, he's endorsed Trump because he's sure the former guy has changed. Of course, within days of Cox's endorsement, Trump proved him wrong. Still, Cox is working on his conservative bona-fides with every bone in his body. He embraced a rural leader who calls environmentalists "terrorists," signed legislation to ban trans kids from public bathrooms, is all about taking over federal lands and doesn't like diversity, equity or inclusion. In his universe of "disagree better," Cox has just signed legislation to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to stop that pesky public from disagreeing with their representatives. If anything, he knows who's buttering the bread. Trump was expected in Utah but declined after realizing that Cox is now on his side and Lyman, who he pardoned, is an unlikely ally. Don't mess with success.
Hit: A Closer Look
Well, John "Frugal" Dougall won't be state auditor much longer, but he still has some cards up his sleeve. He's agreed to review Utah's election process, which has been Phil Lyman's favorite target this year. Lyman is questioning how signatures were gathered and wants to see who signed. But gee, Utah law says signatures are protected and voters can choose to keep them private. Really, who would want a candidate to harass you over why you signed something to get another candidate on the ballot? It's not a vote. Dougall will "focus only on certain aspects of the election process, including controls over and disclosure of voter registration information as well as the validation process associated with signature-gathering by candidates," according to a recent statement. No doubt Lyman will call foul anyway, because Dougall isn't MAGA enough.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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