This probably wasn’t on anyone’s political bingo card for 2024.
Democrat Brian King has teamed up with fellow gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Phil Lyman, who is running a write-in campaign following his defeat in the Republican primary to urge voters not to re-elect Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
King has been a solid liberal voice in the Utah House of Representatives throughout his career. Lyman is one of the legislature’s most conservative members.
This week, the Utah Supreme Court rejected Lyman’s attempt to overturn the Republican primary and throw Cox out of office and off the ballot. The congressman announced his candidacy and said he would rather see King win than Cox.
The ad begins by highlighting issues on which King and Lyman disagree, with a not-so-subtle jab (and a wink from the Democrat) at Cox’s mantra, “It’s better to disagree.”
“But the biggest thing we both agree on,” Lyman says, before King and Lyman announce in unison, “is that Spencer Cox should not be our next governor.”
“So let’s try something different this year,” Lyman says. “Sign up Phil Lyman…”
“Phil,” King interrupts, “come on.”
“I’m sorry, Brian,” Lyman says.
“Elect Brian King for governor,” King says, before both conclude with King’s campaign slogan: “For the better.”
The 30-second spot mimics a commercial filmed four years ago featuring Cox and his then-opponent, Democrat Chris Peterson. They also acknowledged their differences but agreed that Utahns should respect the outcome of the 2020 election, regardless of who won.
Cox did it.
How politicians react
Reactions to the King-Lyman ad on Thursday were mixed, ranging from support to confusion to condemnation from the chairman of the Utah Republican Party.
“We condemn Phil Lyman’s support and promotion of Brian King, which only benefits Democratic candidates whose extreme policies are out of step with the people of Utah,” Republican Party Chairman Rob Axson said on X, formerly Twitter. “Not exactly clever clickbait videos that attempt to pit Republicans against each other only remind us of what is at stake; the people of Utah must not fall for it.”
Peterson, the former Democratic candidate whose ad was mocked, said he still believes “that decency and respect for the outcome of democratic elections are critical to all of us. It seems to me that the Republican Party is currently struggling to live up to those two core values at both the national and state levels.”
“While I like and respect Governor Cox, Representative King would be a refreshing change and has my full support,” Peterson said. “Representative Lyman seems unstable and a little out of touch with reality.”
Jeff Merchant, executive director of the progressive Alliance for a Better Utah, said he is a friend of King and, “I’m just really surprised that Brian did it.”
Merchant said that while Cox has disappointed many groups and is difficult to pin down, “I do believe he respects the electoral process. He supports and defends our election officials and the people who are involved in the electoral process. And those are things I wouldn’t trust Phil Lyman to do.”
Lyman has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting, the primary signature collection route that Cox chose, and the honesty of election officials, filing two lawsuits, including his now-dismissed Supreme Court challenge. (He has since withdrawn the other suit.)
“I definitely don’t think I would have entered into this partnership,” Merchant said, “but I understand what Brian is getting at.”
Cox campaign fires back
Cox’s campaign responded with a statement criticizing King for his “California-style political positions.”
“Brian King is ranked each year as one of the most liberal members of the Utah Legislature,” said campaign spokesman Matt Lusty. “He has supported 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 (California Governor) Gavin Newsom-style government is the wrong solution for Utah.”
Dan Hemmert, a former state senator who served in Cox’s administration, said the ad was “too crazy.”
“The far left and the far right are clashing because King can’t win and Lyman is a sore loser,” he wrote on X. “It’s like their campaign teams are drinking shots together and… we have a bizarre world.”
Darlene McDonald, a member of the Democratic National Committee, wrote in a post that she was “worried that Brian King would do one of those disastrous commercials with Cox that were filmed a few years ago.”
“I LOVE THIS!” she wrote. “(King) is what Utahns say he is. It’s time to vote for better, Utah. Brian King IS better for Utah.”
What King and Lyman say
King said in a statement that his campaign is building a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independents committed to change, citing a recent poll that found 60 percent of Utah residents believe the state is on the wrong path.
“Unfortunately, the Spencer Cox who was governor for the last four years is not the Spencer Cox who was elected in 2020,” King said. “No matter which side of the aisle you are on, Cox has proven himself to be unreliable, unprincipled and untrustworthy. Phil and I agree on that.”
On Thursday, Lyman said Cox had changed his mind on important issues and the state needed a leader with “unwavering character.”
“Although Representative King and I do not agree on everything,” Lyman said in a statement, “I have sat with him in the House for years and have witnessed his unwavering commitment to his principles and the causes he believes in.”
According to the legally required disclaimer in the ad, it was King’s campaign – not Lyman’s – that funded the 30-second spot.
