Utah

Is it time to end Utah's caucus/convention system?

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

Is it time to end Utah's caucus/convention system?

At the Utah Republican convention Saturday, Gov. Spencer Cox wondered if all the nastiness, boos and insults he and some other candidates endured at the hands of delegates would give “more ammunition” to those who would like to discontinue the caucus/convention system.

The simple answer is yes. The conversation surrounding the future of selecting candidates is Topic 1 this week among those who follow and support political races. It’s not just about booing candidates or expressing differences. The behavior exhibited by some at the Salt Palace Convention Center Saturday was disturbing enough to make us wonder whether the system has outlived its usefulness.

Our conclusion is that it isn’t yet time to change the system, but that party leaders should beware.

We have long supported retaining the caucus/convention system in addition to the signature-gathering system for qualifying candidates for primary ballots. The two systems combined give registered Republicans the opportunity to choose from a diversified pool of candidates.

But that argument loses some of its luster when conventions are controlled by unruly and uncivil behavior. And when caucus night activities are so confusing or disorganized that only 9% of the Republican Party turn out to select delegates, as happened this year.

And while it’s true that candidates new to the political world may not have the name recognition or the resources to gather the requisite signatures, and that the caucus/convention system gives them an attainable route to the ballot, those advantages are lost when a my-way-or-the-highway ideology triumphs over common sense and productive debate.

It is both sobering and instructive to contemplate that, without the signature-gathering option as an alternative, Cox would have been denied a chance for reelection as governor. This, despite a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll in February showing 50% of voters favoring him in the upcoming primary. The nearest competitor had 5%.

Over the last 10 years, convention delegates have often chosen candidates other than those preferred in opinion polls. Generally, they lose in the primary election.

What really ought to give Utahns pause, however, is the incivility and nastiness that some (certainly not all) convention delegates displayed Saturday. Even Gov. Cox’s Disagree Better national campaign was mocked by some in the convention hall.

When Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson posted on X that she was “mortified by the vulgarity and viciousness my young nieces were exposed to by another gubernatorial campaign’s supporters,” it raised questions about the intent of delegates who were elected to express the will of party members.

When a strong conservative such as Utah Rep. Kera Birkeland tweets about her daughters enduring mocking and shaming at a help desk, it elevates those questions.

And when former state senator and current Senate candidate Dan Hemmert tells us delegates seemed more concerned with conspiracy theories, federal issues and a candidate’s position on the new state flag than on vetting people for their ability to do the job to which they seek election, it raises alarm bells.

Is this the true nature of the state’s largest political party?

Hemmert told delegates the Republican Party has a record of electing good people in spite of the caucus/convention system, not because of it. That ought to give party leaders pause.

The convention this year seemed designed to make participation difficult. Delegates complained of long lines and technical difficulties. The convention lasted 15 hours, with the original tally of 3,886 credentialed delegates having dwindled to 2,713 by the time candidates were considered for the important Senate seat being vacated by Mitt Romney.

If the caucus/convention system were scuttled, satisfying alternatives are hard to find. The party may adopt a more open primary, in which candidates would have to collect fewer, or perhaps no petition signatures. But this would only put another flaw in Utah’s election system into high relief — the lack of a runoff election procedure for races involving multiple candidates when none receives a majority of votes cast.

Certainly, there is little appetite to go back to the days of party bosses and whatever passed for a smoke-filled room in Utah. Nevertheless, it is valid to ask, is there a better way?

We are reminded of the words of John Adams, who said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Utah lawmakers should be careful when it comes to changing or removing long-standing party nominating systems. It may not be time to end the caucus/convention system that served past generations so well. However, party leaders now have the responsibility to demonstrate that keeping it will be good for democracy in the future. After all, the goal should not be about control. It should be about participation and having one’s civil voice heard.

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Utah

Utah mom accused of kidnapping autistic son’s 11-year-old bully until he apologized

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Utah mom accused of kidnapping autistic son’s 11-year-old bully until he apologized

A Utah mother allegedly kidnapped her autistic son’s bully and kept him at her home until he apologized — then threatened to have her husband beat him up.

Shannon Tufuga, 40, was slapped with kidnapping charges Monday after she rolled up on her son’s 11-year-old bully while he was riding his bike around his neighborhood in early September, according to charging documents obtained by KSL.com.

Tufuga was “driving around looking” specifically for the boy, whom she confronted and corralled into her car without his parents’ knowledge, the documents alleged.

Shannon Tufuga allegedly kidnapped her son’s bully and kept him at her home until he apologized — then threatened to have her husband beat him up. Facebook

She allegedly hightailed it back to her home in Provo, Utah, and kept the boy there until he apologized to her son.

The boy readily apologized, but even then, the vengeful mom wouldn’t let up, according to the police report. She “threatened to have her husband beat up” the accused bully and sneered that he “was lucky she did not run over his bike,” the documents alleged.

Tufuga eventually drove the shell-shocked boy back to his home.

The alleged kidnapping caused the boy “serious emotional distress” over the following months, and he now suffers from “high anxiety and has had to alter his daily routines significantly,” according to the charging documents.

Tufuga was charged with child kidnapping and aggravated child abuse on Monday, both as second-degree felonies. The charges were lowered from first-degree felonies after the Utah County Attorney’s Office determined that a “reduction would be in the interests of justice.”

Tufuga’s son is on the autism spectrum, according to a post on her Facebook.

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Utah

Jazz Injury Report Rules Out 7 Players vs. Raptors

Published

19 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Jazz Injury Report Rules Out 7 Players vs. Raptors

The Utah Jazz are set to face off against the Toronto Raptors to kick off their new week for their second of two meetings across this season, where the Jazz in particular have ruled out a total of seven names on their injury report.

Here’s what the injury landscape looks like for the Jazz and Raptors rolling into the night:

Utah Jazz Injury Report

OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)

OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)

OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)

OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)

OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)

OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)

OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)

QUESTIONABLE – Cody Williams (shoulder)

It’s much of the same from what the Jazz have been dealing with across the past couple of weeks.

Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen still remain out with their minor injuries that they’ve suffered past the All-Star break, and Walker Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic remain out for the year with their respective season-ending injuries.

However, the two names that stick out on this injury report against the Raptors in particular are their two first round picks from the 2024 NBA Draft; Isaiah Collier who’s out with a hamstring injury, while Cody Williams is the latest to be among those listed with a shoulder issue.

For Collier, it’s set to be a third-straight game that he’s been out due to what’s been labeled hamstring soreness, and thus leave the Jazz without both their starting and second-string point guard for the night.

That could lead to either two-way signee Elijah Harkless getting a starting nod for a second straight game following his elevation against the Philadelphia 76ers, or that spot could go to 10-day signing Kennedy Chandler, who played 35 minutes in that same game for a career-high 19 points in his team debut.

Mar 21, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Kennedy Chandler (0) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

As for Williams, he’s been downgraded to questionable for the action due to shoulder soreness; something that could leave him still able to go before tip-off, but remains to be seen based on how he feels before gametime.

The second-year forward has been on a hot streak as of late. In his past five games, he’s averaged an impressive 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, shooting 50.0% from the field throughout.

If Williams is out of the mix, it’ll leave their frontcourt a bit more shorthanded from what they’ve been used to across the past couple of weeks, and might lead to even more minutes for guys like 10-day signee Bez Mbeng and two-way big man Oscar Tshiebwe to fill those minutes.

Toronto Raptors Injury Report

OUT – Immanuel Quickley (foot)

OUT – Jakob Poeltl (rest)

QUESTIONABLE – Collin Murray-Boyles (illness)

When it comes to the Raptors, they’ll be without a couple of guys on their roster, Immanuel Quickley who’s slated to miss out due to a foot injury, while Jakob Poeltl won’t be playing for Toronto’s second leg of a back-to-back following their previous battle against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Collin Murray-Boyles, on the other hand, has been upgraded to questionable against the Jazz with an illness after previously being out against the Nuggets over the weekend.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Raptors lands at 9 p.m. MT in the Delta Center, where Toronto will have their chance at a 2-0 series sweep over Utah depending on the results.

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Utah

POST-GAME: André Tourigny 3.22.26 | Utah Mammoth

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

POST-GAME: André Tourigny 3.22.26 | Utah Mammoth

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