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What to expect at the Utah GOP Convention

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What to expect at the Utah GOP Convention


Utah Republican candidates and delegates will convene Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City to determine who they want on the primary ballot in June.

Utah’s junior Senate seat, the state’s four House seats and numerous statewide offices, including governor and attorney general, are all up for grabs.

State delegates, who represent neighborhood precincts, will have the final say on whether convention-only candidates receive the party’s official nomination. They will also have a chance to signal whether signature-gathering candidates have the support of the party’s base voters.

Delegates tend to be more involved in the party and also more partisan than the general Republican electorate. This year’s delegate cohort is a different crowd from past years. Around two-thirds of them were elected for the first time during Super Tuesday caucus meetings, which were combined with a presidential preference poll that attracted registered Republicans that may have not participated in party proceedings previously.

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Candidates must receive at least 40% of delegate support in the April 27 convention — or have gathered 7,000 or 28,000 certified signatures — to advance to the June 25 primary election.

Here’s a preview of the gubernatorial, congressional and attorney general races. We broke down the Senate convention competition here.

Gubernatorial race

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox faces four Republican challengers in his first reelection test. State Rep. Phil Lyman, former state GOP chair Carson Jorgensen, Bountiful business owner Sylvia Miera-Fisk and Marine Corps artillery officer Scott Robbins have attacked Cox for not being conservative enough for deep-red Utah.

Cox has already qualified for the GOP primary by gathering 28,000 certified signatures. The other three candidates will be making their electoral appeal directly to delegates.

During his first four years, Cox presided over legislation banning abortion, limiting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, banning transgender students in female sports, and signed the largest cumulative tax cut in Utah history. He has also led initiatives on housing affordability and homelessness in the state.

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Lyman, a certified public accountant, has accused Cox of being too quick to compromise on conservative positions and of making Utah a quasi-sanctuary state for migrants who entered the country illegally. Jorgensen, a sixth-generation sheep rancher, has focused his criticism on the growing budget under Cox.

1st Congressional District

Rep. Blake Moore will face two challengers at the GOP convention, Ogden electrician Paul Miller and former Ogden police officer Derek Draper. Moore is the only candidate to have already qualified for the Republican primary by gathering 7,000 certified signatures.

Moore recently secured positions on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. These roles have allowed Moore to lead out on issues of spending reduction, welfare reform and a bipartisan focus on addressing the country’s debt.

Miller’s campaign has centered on improving border security, banning insider trading in Congress and combating “woke policy.” Draper has framed himself as an America First candidate who is a “100% supporter of our President Donald J. Trump.”

2nd Congressional District

Newly elected Rep. Celeste Maloy also faces two convention challengers — Army veteran Colby Jenkins and repeat candidate Ty Jensen — despite having been elected by delegates and primary voters just last summer to fill former Rep. Chris Stewart’s vacant seat. Maloy, Stewart’s former chief legal counsel, has placed her political future in the hands of delegates, choosing not to gather signatures.

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During her six months in office, Maloy has introduced legislation to transfer some federal lands to Utah, supported a warrant amendment to the government’s FISA 702 surveillance authorities and voted against further military aid to Ukraine.

Jenkins has criticized Maloy for caving to “the pressures of Washington, D.C.,” and said he will be a more accountable representative. Jensen said he represents a working-class alternative to a Washington, D.C., insider.

Sen. Mike Lee announced a surprise endorsement of Jenkins Thursday afternoon.

“Too many Republicans in Congress have voted to expand the size, scope, and cost of the federal government, in many cases deferring to congressional GOP leaders bent on advancing the Democrats’ agenda. Now more than ever we need bold conservatives in Congress,” Lee said in a press release.

Maloy, who recently introduced legislation with Lee, responded to Lee’s endorsement with the following statement given to the Deseret News:

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“President Trump called me last week — because that’s what he does when two of his cabinet level advisors endorse someone — and he asked me how I like being in Congress. And I told him, I’ll be honest with you, Mr. President, I like the job, but I’m sick and tired of Republicans losing because we fight each other harder than we fight the Democrats. And he laughed and told me I was right, and said he’s sick of it, too. And this is a prime example of why Republicans keep losing. When we agree on principle, but disagree on tactics. We go out and try to harm each other instead of trying to bring home wins for our constituents.”

3rd Congressional District

With Rep. John Curtis launching a Senate campaign in January, Utah’s 3rd District became an open seat for the first time in seven years. Nine Republicans jumped in the race.

Mike Kennedy is a state Senator. Kennedy, who won among delegates against Sen. Mitt Romney in 2018, has emphasized his conservative voting record and accessibility to voters. He is pursuing a convention-only path to nomination.

Chris Herrod is a former state lawmaker. He previously ran for Congress in the 3rd District in 2017, 2018 and 2022, beating Curtis in convention his first and second attempt. He is again counting on delegates to send him to the primary.

Case Lawrence is the founder of Sky Zone. He has emphasized his ability to successfully emerge from economic crises and “restore the American dream.” He has qualified for the primary election with 7,000 certified signatures.

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JR Bird is the mayor of Roosevelt. He said his experience with small-town government, business and agriculture qualify him to represent the sprawling 3rd District. He has also qualified for the primary through signature-gathering.

John “Frugal” Dougall is the Utah state auditor. Dougall pointed to his track record as evidence he understands fiscal issues and can get the nation’s inflation under control. He gathered signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.

Stewart Peay is a commercial litigator. He said his background in military intelligence makes him the most qualified on issues of foreign policy. Former Utah Rep. Chris Stewart endorsed Peay. He gathered signatures to qualify for the primary.

Kathryn Dahlin is a former Senate staffer. Dahlin said she represents a different kind of politician focused on family and responsible budgeting. She submitted signatures but fell short of the certification threshold.

Zac Wilson is the Utah Young Republicans state chair. He said his background in finance prepared him to address the country’s spending problems. He did not gather signatures and is looking to delegates to move him forward.

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Lucky Bovo is a former National Guardsman. His campaign message is to limit National Guardsmen from being deployed oversees. He did not gather signatures or engage in delegate outreach.

Attorney General race

Derek Brown, Trent Christensen, Frank Mylar and Rachel Terry are squaring off for the attorney general nomination. Brown has chosen to seek the nomination both through the convention process and signature gathering — he has already qualified and will appear on the primary ballot. Christensen, Mylar and Terry are only seeking the nomination through the convention process.

Brown is the former deputy chief of staff for Sen. Mike Lee and the former Utah GOP chairman. He practiced law at Mayer Brown and Sidley Austin LLP and has also served as chief legal counsel to former Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch.

Christensen is the chief of staff and general counsel for OmniTeq. He previously was an associate at Ropes & Gray LLP and served as the executive director of the Senator Orrin G. Hatch Center for Civility and Solutions.

Mylar started his own firm more than 20 years ago and focuses on constitutional and government litigation in state and federal courts as well as civil rights and religious liberty. He also worked for 12 years in the attorney general’s office.

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Terry has been an assistant attorney general and is currently the director of the Utah Division of Risk Management. She served as the deputy director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns and she also worked for the firm Fabian & Clendenin.

For previous coverage of the race, see this article and this one.



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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods

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Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods


BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — A massive community effort is underway as volunteers and Beaver County crews distribute thousands of sandbags to protect homes from the potential path of floodwaters.

After the Cottonwood Fires, residents have been waiting for weeks for relief to come in the form of rain, though officials now warn it may come all at once with an increased risk of flooding and debris flow.

Emergency Service Director Les Whitney believes that the fire has left plenty of debris to bring trouble for residents.

“We got a lot of water. We’re bringing debris with it, so tree branches, tree limbs, logs, lots of different size firewood, and that’s all in the creeks. We’re worried about that plugging up our bridges and stuff, so we have heavy equipment and excavators located in strategic places so that we can keep those bridges open,” said Whitney.

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An estimated 140 homes and condominiums were spared from the flames, but remain in the paths of floodwaters.

Residents can also pick up sandbags at the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office or at the Beaver County Rodeo Fairgrounds.





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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months

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Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months


EAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain man currently on pretrial release in 4th District Court who is accused of abusing his dog has been arrested again for allegedly punching the same animal.

Keith Reaves Davis, 43, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Utah County sheriff’s deputies were called Wednesday afternoon to a grocery store on a report that a man was beating his dog after it had gotten off its leash and was stopped by a bystander, according to a police booking affidavit.

“I reviewed security camera footage from the grocery store, and an individual matching the description of the suspect was seen holding the dog in the air by one paw and repeatedly striking the dog on the right hind leg area. I observed the male strike the dog several times before dropping the dog from approximately 1-2 feet. The strikes appeared to be as hard as the male could hit,” the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit. “The dog did not cry out or whimper as if the dog was accustomed to the abuse.”

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When questioned, Davis “admitted to striking the dog because it was not behaving,” the affidavit states.

An animal control officer who responded to the scene to take custody of the dog noted it was the same dog he had taken from Davis exactly three months earlier during another animal abuse investigation.

In that case, Davis was charged in 4th District Court with aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, after deputies received a tip from a neighbor that a dog was being abused at Davis’ home, according to charging documents. When questioned, Davis “acknowledged hitting his dog as punishment,” the charges state.

Deputies also reviewed videos that the neighbor had filmed. The neighbor told investigators “there was blood from the dog on the ground of the garage and (the neighbor) can hear the dog screaming as if it’s being hurt. Deputies got the videos from the (neighbor) and you can hear very loudly the dog screaming and crying with a lot of loud banging noises. In one of the videos, you can hear the dog sounding like it is being choked by a collar and is grasping for air,” a police booking affidavit states.

Davis’ next court hearing in the April case is scheduled for July 28.

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In their latest booking report, sheriff’s deputies note that they “believe further harm will be inflicted on this dog if it is released back to the male a second time,” and have recommended the dog not be returned to Davis.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.



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Muslim man stabbed at Utah mall over his religion, authorities say

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Muslim man stabbed at Utah mall over his religion, authorities say


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A man was arrested in Utah after allegedly stabbing a Muslim employee at a mall multiple times and telling investigators he targeted the victim because of his religion, according to court records. 

Peter Michael Larsen, 48, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and prohibited dangerous weapon conduct following the attack on July 13 at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, court and online jail records show. West Valley City is a suburb of Salt Lake City.

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The West Valley City Police Department said the incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. local time, when Larsen approached a man working at a kiosk at the mall.

“After a brief interaction, the suspect pulled out a knife and began stabbing him multiple times,” police said in a statement on X. “A few bystanders interfered, and were able to separate the suspect from the victim and subdue the suspect until police arrived.”

The victim, who was not identified by authorities, sustained multiple stab wounds and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to police and court records.

Larsen told investigators that he had “targeted the victim with intent to kill him because of his religion (Muslim),” police said in an affidavit obtained by USA TODAY. The affidavit also states Larsen said he believes he is “a catalyst” and “intends to kill Muslims.”

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The incident remains under investigation, and police said they were looking into any possible relationship between the suspect and victim. USA TODAY reached out to the West Valley City Police Department for comment.

Police: Suspect poses a ‘substantial danger to the public’

The suspect approached the Muslim man, asked for his name, asked about his religion, and indicated he wanted a bottle of water, The Salt Lake Tribune reported, citing comments from Imam Shuaib Din, who leads the Utah Islamic Center and had been in contact with the victim’s family.

As the victim turned to get the water, the attacker began stabbing him, Din told the newspaper. Police said in the affidavit that they received multiple 911 calls at around 2:30 p.m. local time reporting two men “involved in a physical altercation where one male was stabbing the other.”

When officers arrived at the scene, they observed bystanders pinning the suspect to the ground and “had already removed the knife from his hand,” according to the affidavit. Police said the victim was “bleeding profusely” and was then transported to the hospital.

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The victim was identified by friends as Syed Sohail Uddin, local television station FOX 13 and The New York Times reported. A GoFundMe fundraiser organized on his behalf said he was stabbed 15 times and required multiple surgeries. 

Larsen was also transported to the hospital “due to being punched in the head from bystanders trying to get the knife out of his hand,” according to the affidavit. He was later medically cleared and taken to the police station for an interview.

Police said in the affidavit that Larsen posed “a substantial danger to the public if released based on his violent actions today, ideologies and pre-planned mass casualty events.”

Advocates condemn stabbing attack at Utah mall

Muslim advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), condemned the attack.

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“This horrific attack is yet another reminder that anti-Muslim rhetoric has real-world consequences. When Muslims are routinely demonized, portrayed as threats, or treated as less deserving of equal rights and dignity, some twisted individuals inevitably act on that hatred,” CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement on July 14.

Civil rights advocates have noted a rise in Islamophobia in the United States over the last two-plus decades following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, ⁠and ​more recently because of immigration policies and the fallout of the Israel-Hamas war, according to Reuters.

CAIR, which is the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, reported last year that it received a record number of complaints of discrimination and Islamophobic attacks amid the war.

The organization received more than 8,650 complaints in 2024, the highest number since CAIR began publishing its annual civil rights report in 1996, according to the report released in March 2025. Complaints rose more than 7%, breaking the previous record set in 2023.

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The Utah attack follows several high-profile incidents targeting Muslims in recent years, including the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois in 2023 and a deadly shooting at a San Diego mosque earlier this year.

Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Reuters



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