SALT LAKE CITY – An already chaotic election cycle in Utah got even stranger Thursday when former Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman joined Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian King in a video to argue against another four years of Gov. Spencer Cox.
The video, released Thursday by King’s gubernatorial campaign, parodies a similar video shot by Cox and then-Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Peterson during the 2020 campaign and pokes fun at the governor’s “Disagree Better” initiative.
“Today, Phil and I disagree on most issues,” says King with a wink.
A list of disagreements shows that the candidates – who are colleagues in the Utah House of Representatives – are divided on public lands, education programs, reproductive rights, electoral processes and the role of government. But both agree “that Spencer Cox should not be our next governor.”
Lyman, R-Blanding, lost to Cox in the June 25 primary but claims he should have been allowed to advance directly to the general election after winning 67.5% of the vote at the Republican convention. The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday denied his bid to become the Republican Party’s nominee in November, but Lyman has said he plans to appeal that decision and launch a mail-in ballot campaign.
The video identifies him as a “former (or current, depending on who you ask) Republican candidate for Governor of Utah” and notes that legal proceedings are pending.
While @phil_lyman and I disagree on almost everything, but we agree on one point: @SpencerJCox should not be our next governor. pic.twitter.com/P3PMYPWkn9
— Brian S. King (@KingForUtah) 15 August 2024
The Republicans react
King, who represents Salt Lake City, issued a statement along with the video, saying, “Cox has proven himself to be unreliable, unprincipled and untrustworthy. Phil and I agree on that.”
“When we launched this campaign, we wanted to build a broad coalition of pragmatists comprised of Utahns seeking change – Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike,” King continued. “That’s more important now than ever. Any Utahn who agrees that our state needs different leadership is welcome to join our campaign, and I plan to continue speaking to voters of all political backgrounds across the state between now and November.”
King previewed the video in a short trailer on social media platform X on Wednesday, along with a post that read, “If you thought we were shaking things up already…👀 see you tomorrow.”
“Honesty, integrity and transparency are the cornerstones of true leadership,” Lyman said in a statement Thursday. “Unfortunately, we have seen Governor Cox vacillate on critical issues, saying one thing and doing another. Utah needs leaders of unwavering character – those who will tackle challenges head-on and have direct, honest conversations to move our state forward. While Rep. King and I don’t agree on everything, I have sat with him in the House for years and witnessed his unwavering commitment to his principles and the causes he believes in.”
Matt Lusty, a spokesman for Cox’s campaign, told KSL.com that voters in November have a clear choice: “Utah values or California-style liberal policy positions.”
“Brian King is ranked each year as one of the most liberal members of the Utah Legislature,” he continued. “He has sponsored bills that dramatically increase taxes and limit the Second Amendment rights of Utahns. Losing is tough, but encouraging others to vote for someone who believes in Gavin Newsom-style government is the wrong solution for Utah.”
Lyman’s refusal to concede defeat to Cox after the primary and his insistence on a write-in campaign have apparently spooked some in his party, and some fear his candidacy could split the GOP electorate and help King become the state’s first Democratic governor since Gov. Scott M. Matheson in the 1980s. Lyman has until Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. to file as a write-in candidate.
Utah Senator Mike Lee announced in a post on X on Wednesday that he would vote for Cox in the general election.
“The primaries are a time when Republicans are fiercely debating policy differences. The primaries are over,” Lee said. “We cannot risk Utah becoming California. We must defeat the Democrats by standing behind our Republican colleagues.”
Utah Republican Party Chairman Rob Axson told KSL that the party is “fully committed to supporting Republicans across the ballot,” adding that “any campaign against our party will only benefit Democratic candidates whose extreme policies do not align with the people of Utah.”
Does Brian King have a real chance?
The ad was the brainchild of the King campaign. King says they noticed increasing calls from Lyman not to endorse Cox, even going so far as to say he would choose King over Cox because he felt Cox was being disingenuous.
“I’ve said I’d choose Brian King over Spencer Cox because Spencer Cox has been pretty dishonest with me,” Lyman said. “I’ll say this: I would give up my write-in campaign in a heartbeat if I got the signatures and the actual election results. The fact that there’s no transparency is why I’m running.”
Lyman said it was not his intention to endorse King, but that he only wanted to encourage his efforts to get on the voter roll.
“That’s what it’s like when you campaign, you advertise, you get your name out there, you get attention, you create controversy, whatever it takes. You try to get your message out there. And it’s been really successful.”
King believes the ad will make a difference in the campaign. He also said he thinks Republicans are concerned about his campaign, as evidenced by those who have spoken out in support of Cox.
“We’ve heard the governor speak his mind. We’ve heard various state legislators speak his mind. We’ve heard Mike Lee speak his mind. And I don’t think they would be paying attention if they didn’t think I was a serious, strong Democratic challenger,” King said.
