In the Utah Republican primary held on June 25, 2024, John Curtis emerged as the winner to replace retiring Senator Mitt Romney. Curtis secured 52% of the votes in a highly contested race against Trent Staggs and other candidates.
Curtis is currently Utah's longest serving congressman in its House delegation and has served since 2017. He began his political career as a county level Democratic Party official before running for Provo mayor as a Republican. Curtis is known for his moderate stance on issues like climate change compared to the rest of the Republican flank.
Staggs, who had the backing of former President Donald Trump, was considered a long shot in the race despite receiving an endorsement from Trump just hours before qualifying for the primary ballot. Staggs highlighted his opposition to Covid-19 measures as mayor of Riverton and posted a video on social media featuring Trump's endorsement.
Another conservative candidate, Brad Wilson, who had loaned $3 million to his campaign, lost at the April state Republican convention to Staggs. Meanwhile, Jason Walton positioned himself as a businessman similar to Trump.
Curtis has shown a willingness to stake out different positions on issues where he disagrees with Trump and Romney. He did not endorse Trump for president and voted against both of his impeachments but called for his censure following the Capitol attack. Curtis is also a climate change activist, which sets him apart from many in the Republican Party.
Curtis will now proceed to the November general election and face Democratic nominee Caroline Gleich. Utah has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1970.
