Posted on 05/07/2024 9:59:18 AM PDT by cotton1706
Former President Trump’s allies fear the former president has given a boost to the moderate wing of the GOP in Utah by backing a long-shot conservative candidate in the race to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).
Trump endorsed Trent Staggs shortly before the Utah GOP convention last month. Voters will formally choose their nominee in the June 25 primary.
Staggs has shown few signs of viability as he struggles to raise money and gain traction in the polls, sparking fears among some Trump-aligned Republicans that the endorsement could splinter conservative voters and put Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), the more moderate candidate, in the driver’s seat ahead.
“Everyone knows this is Curtis’ race to lose,” one Utah-based GOP operative said. “Staggs has to pitch a perfect game to win. … [Trump’s team] has to take a real interest in this seat for it to not fold over to Curtis.”
Curtis was never considered to be in contention to win Trump’s support. He did not back Trump during the presidential primary earlier this year, and his wife was an ardent backer of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) before she dropped out of the GOP presidential primary race. He also has much of Romney’s team behind him.
But Republican operatives believe that if Trump really wanted to make a dent in the race, he would have backed either businessman Jason Walton or former Utah state House Speaker Brad Wilson (R) — both of whom are well-funded and would have had a puncher’s chance had Trump sided with them. Wilson and Curtis are the only two candidates who are running statewide television ads.
“It was a real miscalculation picking Staggs,” the Utah-based GOP operative said, pointing to the decision not to back Walton specifically.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
A nice new Mitt Romney or Orrin Hatch.
Trent Staggs won 70% of the Utah convention delegates, but to "Republican operatives," he's not "viable."
They know that whoever gets the Republican nomination will be the next US Senator. So they're working REALLY hard to prevent a conservative nominee. So they get behind the Liz Cheney of Utah.
Who are these former Trump allies??? Mitt Romney?
Mormons should go be Dems. They all suck.
There’s always Mia Love-sarc.
Utah could run a dog against mitt and be effective
Uniparty propaganda from “The Shill.”
Shh! Don’t tell Kristi Noem!
Why don’t the Mormons ever have any issue the morals of Bill and Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, or Joe & the whole Biden clan?
Reminds me of Mike Pence. You couldn’t pull his lips off of Jill and Joe Biden and they have been dirty forever.
I think if Good Morning America blesses someone, they are dedicated to them for life. It has to do with the TV.
RINO’s want the RINO feeding trough to be kept full.
They are a cancer in the GOP.
I dislike the name “Mitt”... it’s a knickname and an affectation. His real first name is Willard.
When you believe Jesus is a space alien and buds with Lucifer, you don’t really have a moral compass. Pence is just a creep. Closet homo most likely.
“Trent Staggs won 70% of the Utah convention delegates, but to “Republican operatives,” he’s not “viable.””
The Republican Convention for U.S. Senate (Utah)
https://ballotpedia.org/Trent_Staggs
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