Utah Rep. John Curtis emerged victorious in the state’s Republican Senate primary, defeating a challenger supported by former President Donald Trump in the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Mitt Romney.
Curtis, 64, secured a win in the four-way primary, which included Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, who had the backing of Trump and the state Republican Party. Curtis is now heavily favored in the November general election in the deep-red state, which hasn’t elected a Democrat to the US Senate since 1970.
Despite losing a vocal anti-Trump figure in Romney, Curtis has maintained a cautious distance from the former president in a state that, while predominantly Republican, has shown a willingness to support candidates with a more moderate approach. Although Curtis did not endorse Trump during this year’s Republican presidential primary, he generally aligned with the former president’s policies during Trump’s term.
As the founder and chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus in Washington, Curtis often hosts “hiking town hall” events where he engages with voters while showcasing the state’s picturesque landscapes.
Trump threw his support behind Staggs in April, but Curtis, who gathered enough signatures to qualify for the primary ballot, prevailed. Staggs, known for his opposition to Covid-19 measures as mayor of Riverton, received a boost from Trump in a social media video where the former president criticized Romney and praised Staggs, though acknowledging the uphill battle ahead.
Curtis, who first entered Congress in 2017 following a special election, previously served as the mayor of Provo, the state’s fourth most populous city.
Stay tuned for further updates on this story.
CNN’s Andrew Menezes contributed to this report.
