Former President Trump’s friends are worried. They think he helped the not-so-extreme part of the GOP in Utah. He supported a conservative called Trent Staggs, even though Staggs is not very likely to win.
Staggs doesn’t have a lot of money or support in the polls. Some Republicans who like Trump worry that by supporting Staggs, they might split the votes of conservative people. This could make a more moderate Republican, Rep. John Curtis, win instead.
Curtis didn’t support Trump before and his wife liked another Republican, Nikki Haley. But Curtis has a lot of people from Mitt Romney’s team supporting him. Trump could have supported other candidates like Jason Walton or Brad Wilson, who have more money and a better chance to win. But he chose Staggs.
Some people say Senator Mike Lee asked Trump to support Walton instead. But Trump chose Staggs, who got attention by talking to people close to Trump, like Stephen Bannon and Charlie Kirk. This surprised some of Trump’s friends who thought he usually picks winners in GOP races.
Staggs needs to show that Trump’s support matters and that he can compete with Curtis. But Staggs hasn’t raised much money yet. He needs to get people to know about Trump endorsing him, and that’s hard without money.
Staggs says he’s happy Trump supports him and thinks Utah wants a senator who puts America first, like Trump. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney thinks both Curtis and Wilson are good choices for Utah.
In Utah, winning the convention doesn’t always mean winning the primary. Brent Hatch, son of a former senator, couldn’t make it to the ballot because he didn’t get enough signatures. He started too late and didn’t have enough support.
Trump’s relationship with Utah Republicans has been up and down. He’s popular with primary voters but not as much as in other very Republican states. So, it’s unclear if his support for Staggs will make a big difference.
Some Republicans wonder if Staggs can really win. It’s not an easy House race; it’s for the Senate, and you need more than just support to win. Can he do it? That’s the big question.
