Utah
Utah Dem gubernatorial candidate Brian King names running mate
State Rep. Brian King, the Democratic candidate for governor, unveiled his pick for lieutenant governor at the Utah Capitol on Monday afternoon.
“I, Brian King, am writing to name Rebekah Cummings as my running mate and candidate for lieutenant governor,” he said at a press conference. “A mom. A public servant. A librarian. A defender against book banning and censorship. Utahns will be well served by Rebekah’s leadership through her advocacy for intellectual freedom and commitment to empowering families.”
Cummings is the director of digital matters at the University of Utah and is a board chair of the Utah State Library Board. She has been a fierce advocate against book banning. These qualifications “are very relevant to the issues that we’re facing,” King said in his reasoning for picking her.
“Utahns are tired of the chaos and control. Together, Rebekah and I are building a coalition of pragmatists, not purists — those who want the government to get back to doing its job. Join us for the better,” he added.
Cummings lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Robert, and their three children. She told reporters she is “honored and humbled” to be King’s running mate and is thrilled to campaign with him.
“I’ve actually been Brian’s constituent for the past 11 years,” she said, adding she has felt impressed by his ability to focus on “common sense solutions and working across the aisle to get things done.” She said their priorities align on preserving the Great Salt Lake, advocating for clean air and water and adequately funding schools. “I think we also care a great deal about individual freedoms,” she added, whether that’s reproductive rights or book choices in school.
After giving their staffers high-fives following the press conference, King and Cummings walked to the state auditor’s office. King opened the door for his newly announced running mate and they spent 15 or so minutes inside the office, filling out the candidacy paperwork, before submitting it to the lieutenant governor’s chambers.
A divided GOP is an advantage for Brian King’s campaign for governor
King, D-Salt Lake City, who was uncontested and won the Democratic state convention Saturday, said while he and Cummings are working hard “to get this campaign off the ground immediately,” the Republican Party is splintering. He noted the GOP convention over the weekend, where delegates didn’t support the sitting Republican governor, Spencer Cox.
Of the convention, he said, “The governor had stood up and said, ‘I’ve signed all these extreme MAGA bills. Isn’t that enough for you?’ And the answer was obviously, no, that’s not enough.”
King said he thinks his campaign will give Utahns an option that isn’t tethered to “an extreme ideology.”
“We’re gonna be working hard to make sure that Utahns understand exactly what our values and priorities are, and talking about why they align to a greater extent than some of the extreme legislation, MAGA bills, that you’re seeing coming up,” he said.
According to a Noble Predictive Insights survey, Cox has 81% of support among registered Republican voters while Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, who won the GOP convention over the weekend, garnered 6%.
Cummings also noted the “deeply divided” Republican conference. “While we watch Spencer Cox and Phil Lyman battle it out over the next two months over who can be the most extreme, Brian and I are just looking forward to building a broad coalition of Utahns who care more about just good government and common sense solutions and focusing on real solutions to real problems that affect their lives,” she said.
Gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman and the controversy around his running mate
Since the convention on Saturday, concerns over the eligibility of Lyman’s newly announced running mate, Layne Bangerter, have emerged. The Utah Constitution requires a candidate to be at least 30 years old, and retain status as a registered voter and “a resident citizen of the state for five years next preceding the election.”
In response by memo, Greg Bell, an independent adviser for any complaints related to the 2024 election, said the lieutenant governor’s office has decided to accept their candidacy paperwork “based on the interpretation of the residency qualifications” and “Bangerter’s acknowledgment that he has not been a resident of Utah for the five years immediately preceding the 2024 election.” This memo noted Lyman’s running mate has lived in the Beehive State since November 2019.
“Mr. Bangerter and the Lyman campaign have stated that they disagree with this interpretation and demand that the lieutenant governor accept the submission of declaration of candidacy,” he said and recommended the lieutenant governor’s office decline Bangerter’s candidacy and notify his campaign.
As state Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, pointed out on X, Bangerter resided in Idaho in recent years.
Weiler told the Deseret News his criticism of Lyman’s running mate “isn’t personal,” adding he considers Lyman a friend. But he wants the gubernatorial candidate to “simply follow the Constitution” and own up to his mistakes, which, according to Weiler, is what being a leader is about.
The Lyman campaign issued a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying they are honored to have Bangerter on board for the campaign before defending their pick’s eligibility, starting with the fact that he has lived in Utah for 30 years, having also spent time in Washington, D.C., and Idaho.
The statement touted the lieutenant governor candidate’s highly relevant experience as a Senate staffer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a deputy director of the Environmental Protection Agency under former President Donald Trump, for whom he also served as a campaign state director in 2016, and the campaign chair in 2020.
“The Utah Constitution states that a candidate for lieutenant governor must be a ‘resident citizen of the state for five years next preceding the election,’” the statement added. “This ambiguous language is often thought to mean the residency requirement must be immediately preceding the election for a consecutive number of years.”
But their defense is based on a decision made by the Ohio Supreme Court that ruled the language in the conditional text can “mean any period of the required number of years preceding the election.” It’s unclear if this ruling would apply in Utah.
“In other words, the legal interpretation of the term ‘next’ in this context would require any period of five years preceding the 2024 election,” the statement said. “Layne Bangerter easily meets this requirement and is a fully qualified candidate for lieutenant governor.”
Weiler said Lyman’s statement failed to substantially address concerns, especially since Utah Supreme Court Justice Thomas Lee, in a 2012 opinion, upheld the constitutional text requiring a candidate to be a resident “preceding” five years from the election. Although he hasn’t filed a complaint, Weiler said he looked forward to the Utah GOP’s State Central Committee’s investigation into “Bangerter’s qualifications,” according to one post.
“Sounds like a special meeting or two is in order,” the state senator added.
It’s on nights like these that I’m reminded of the ravine that divides the NBA from all other levels of basketball. This Summer League tilt was sloppy on both sides, and not many fringe players earned an NBA contract tonight, by the looks of it.
This matchup has always been about the number-one pick AJ Dybantsa and the number-two pick Darryn Peterson. Rivals since high school, these two are in an eternal struggle for the designation of being “number-one”. They wanted to be the best in their high school class. They wanted to be the first off the board in the NBA Draft. Rest assured, these two will be battling for Rookie of the Year honors by the season’s end.
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Both stars were fully aware of the magnitude of this game, and both wanted to be the first to strike in the Thomas and Mack Center.
Dybantsa took his first touch all the way to the basket and forced up an off-kilter shot that missed everything.
Peterson took the ball the other way and forced up a top-of-the-key three-pointer that missed badly.
Dybantsa quickly picked up the slack, flipping an under-and-around lay-in and following that up with a good leading bounce pass through traffic to find a cutting teammate.
From there, the 1-2 combo settled in and let the game flow around them.
For the first time in a Utah Jazz uniform, Darryn Peterson walked among mortal men as a commoner. He had a very slow start in his Las Vegas debut, opening the night 0-for-3 from the floor and even whiffing on his first all-or-nothing foul shot. His steps were hurried, and he stood unstable before his first trip to the bench. Not quite so infallible outside of the mountain air in Salt Lake City.
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AJ claimed the first quarter, dicing up the defense with fadeaways, dribble chains, and this vicious, inhumane slam that will dominate your social media feed for the next day or so.
Washington set the tone for some — should we say physical — defense out on the perimeter, and the officials gave the Wizards liberty to reside in Peterson’s chest for the majority of the game. The number-two pick couldn’t get himself into a rhythm as he’d step out of bounds, dribble off his foot, and sputter under the heat of the Wizards’ aggressive double-team scheme.
They were incredibly handsy from end to end, frustrating Jazz ball handlers as the whistles piled up at the other end.
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AJ Dybantsa lives at the foul stripe — that’s his superpower — and he has since his days at BYU, where he led the nation in foul shots taken per game. Perfectly within his idiom, Dybantsa was 6-of-7 from the foul stripe — keeping in mind the experimental do-or-die free throw rule. Considering how much more physical the Wizards played at the defensive end, it’s a mystery how the Wizards managed to reside in the comfort of the bonus for the entire first half.
Neither player was efficient from the floor, but Dybantsa won the first half of this marquee matchup.
Dybantsa finished the first half with 19 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Peterson lagged behind with 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting and a pair of dimes.
The lead shrank to single digits, and what appeared to be a blowout in the first half — Washington led by as much as 20 — rapidly drew tighter in the second half. It had become a two-possession game before the clock hit 0:00 in the third quarter.
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Both stars lived up to the bill in this one, clearly displaying their individual talents despite their efficiency not leaping off the box score.
Peterson’s tendency to cough up possession has to get straightened out. He’ll be a target for his whole career, so learning to handle and exploit on-ball pressure will be critical to maximize his effectiveness and keep his teammates involved.
Cody Williams stole the show a bit for the Jazz, despite a rocky opening to the night. Though he struggled to stop Dybantsa on the defensive end, he notched 16 points on great efficiency (6-11, 2-3 3PT) plus 5 rebounds. He’s not a ball-handler, despite the Jazz’s wishes, but thrived on a newly added stepback mid-range jumper tonight.
Dybantsa had a strong night, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
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The Wizards ultimately won this game behind the strength of their NBA guys, Tre Johnson and Will Reily, who combined for 41 to pair with Dybantsa’s 27. They also strongly benefited from Jamir Watkins, Darryn Peterson’s assignment fouling a grand total of 9 times (not a typo).
Peterson likewise fouled 9 times in this one, an ugly blemish on what was an unsteady night for the rookie. He finished with 24 points on 6-18 shooting and 2-7 from three-point land (thanks to a bank-shot heave at the final horn). Dybantsa will be crowned the winner of this head-to-head with Peterson thanks to better highlights and the team win, but neither player dominated, despite what X will likely tell you.
Washington defeats Utah with a final score of 92-88.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The man arrested for murder in the 2006 death of his wife at a Utah national park left behind a suicide note in his Las Vegas jail cell, according to a police report.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police released a public report on the death of David Vander Meer, 49, who was in custody on an out-of-state warrant.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in an affidavit that Vander Meer, a former youth pastor, was a suspect in the death of his then-wife, 28-year-old Bernadette Vander Meer, 20 years ago.
Bernadette fell to her death at Angels Landing in Zion National Park. Prosecutors said in their affidavit that they received new information implicating David, alleing that he began having a close relationship with a young girl when she was 14 and he was her youth pastor.
A fugitive task force took Vander Meer into custody in Summerlin, according to an arrest report, and he was booked into Clark County Detention Center on June 22.
In the report on his death, LVMPD said a corrections officer was conducting visual checks at about 9:30 p.m. June 24 when he noticed Vander Meer lying face down on the ground and unresponsive.
Several sections are redacted, but police wrote that the officer performed chest compressions until medical personnel arrived. Vander Meer was taken to UMC, where he was pronounced dead just after 2:36 a.m. June 25.
Investigators wrote that because of “the nature of his case,” Vander Meer was placed into protective custody. He was seen sitting upright and awake at 9 p.m., and he had no known medical conditions. He also did not mention being suicidal during a mental health screening.
Inside the cell, police wrote that Vander Meer “left a hand written suicide letter and a hand written will in his cell which has been photographed and impounded.” The following paragraph of the report was redacted, and no further details on Vander Meer’s death were disclosed.
The Clark County Coroner’s Office has not yet released its official rulings on his cause and manner of death.
Bernadette’s parents, Richard and Laura Gudenkauf, told News 3 they long suspected Vander Meer played a role in her death.
“Because of the girlfriend,” said Laura. “I found insurance policies months later that he had, lots of them.”
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
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