Detailing the tens of millions flowing in Utah’s hotly contested 2024 races

Katie McKellar
·11 min read
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Utah's 2024 elections are flush with cash, with over $13 million flowing in the race for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney's open Senate seat. (Getty Images)

Tens of millions of dollars in campaign finance money is flowing in Utah as the 2024 election heats up. 

In the race for Utah’s open U.S. Senate seat alone — left up for grabs by outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney — over $13 million in campaign financing has so far been reported by seven candidates. 

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Candidates in hotly contested races have raised and spent big ahead of the Saturday nominating convention, a key milestone before the June primary. Notably, several candidates, especially in the contentious race for Romney’s seat, have loaned themselves enormous chunks of cash — in some cases millions of dollars.

Saturday, state delegates for both the Utah Republican and Democratic parties will end some of these candidates’ bids — that is, unless they gathered enough signatures to secure their place in the June primary. 

Utah’s state Republican, Democratic party nominating conventions are coming Saturday

Money isn’t always the best indicator to signal which candidates will ultimately prevail at the convention and the ballot box — but having campaign cash on hand certainly helps. The money can also paint a picture about what type of supporters and interest groups candidates attract.

Here’s an overview of how much candidates have raised — and spent — so far in their 2024 bids, according to the latest FEC filings, OpenSecrets.org, FollowTheMoney.org and campaign finance filings posted on the state’s financial disclosure website.

U.S. Senate — Republicans

Former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson has raised nearly $4.8 million — including $2.8 million in loans to himself, according to his latest FEC filings. He’s so far spent over $2.7 million and has over $2 million in cash on hand. 

Utah Rep. John Curtis reported a total of over $2.8 million in his latest FEC filing. He’s so far spent over $1.8 million and has over $1.3 million in cash on hand and available to spend. 

Jason Walton has raised over $2.8 million — including $2.5 million in loans to himself, according to his latest FEC filings. He’s so far spent more than $1.9 million and has $910,253 in cash on hand. 

  • Walton’s contributions include $247,800 in large individual contributions (nearly 9%) and $9,621 in small individual contributions less than $200 (0.35%). He did not report any PAC contributions. 

  • Walton’s $2.5 million in loans to himself makes up the bulk of his campaign finances, at nearly 91%. 

Brent Orrin Hatch has raised over $1.2 million, including $999,730 in loans not from himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s so far spent $331,074 and has $906,025 in cash on hand. 

  • Hatch’s contributions include $225,862 in large individual contributions (18.3%) and $11,507 in small individual contributions less than $200 (0.93%). He did not report any PAC contributions. 

  • Loans make up nearly 81% of Hatch’s campaign finances. 

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs has raised $986,729, including $90,000 in loans to himself, of which $50,000 he’s repaid, according to his FEC filings. He’s so far spent $533,294 and has $453,434 in cash on hand. 

Carolyn Phippen has raised $176,036, according to her FEC filings. She’s so far spent $148,102 and has $27,934 in cash on hand. 

  • Phippen’s contributions include $165,306 in large individual contributions (94%) and $3,463 (2%) in small individual contributions less than $200. She didn’t report any PAC contributions. Phippen contributed $7,267 herself (4%). 

Other candidates: Josh Randall, Jeremy Friedbaum, Chandler Tanner and Brian Jenkins have not reported any campaign fundraising. 

U.S. Senate — Democrats

Caroline Gleich has raised $389,534, according to her FEC filings. She’s spent a big chunk of that already, $303,924. She has $85,610 left on hand. 

  • Gleich’s contributions include $230,934 in small individual contributions under $200 (60.4%), $156,099 in large individual contributions (40.8%), and $2,500 in PAC contributions (0.65%).

Other candidates Gleich is competing with at the Utah Democratic Party’s nominating convention, Laird-Fetzer Hamblin and Archie Williams III, didn’t report any campaign contributions. 

Utah governor

Incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox (Republican) has raised more than $4.2 million over the past four years, according to FollowTheMoney.org. 

  • More recently, Cox raised nearly $1.7 million, including more than $1.5 million carried over from the prior reporting period and $155,326 raised since January of this year, according to his most recent campaign finance filing. Since January, Cox has spent $694,401 and has $986,208 in cash on hand. 

  • A significant chunk of Cox’s campaign contributions ($813,227) come from donors linked to finance, insurance and real estate sectors, according to FollowTheMoney.org. 

Rep. Phil Lyman (Republican) has raised $825,916 since January, according to his most recent campaign finance filing. He’s spent $187,649 and has $638,267 in cash on hand. 

  • Lyman’s fundraising includes $420,000 in loans from Johnny Slavens, a former Brigham Young University football player from Blanding (Lyman’s hometown) who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for Congress in Texas. It also includes $100,000 from the newly founded business Government Leadership Solutions, which shares an address with Lyman Family Farm in Lehi, owned by members of Lyman’s family, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. 

Carson Jorgensen (Republican) has raised $52,464 since January, according to his campaign finance filings. He’s so far spent $40,786 and has $11,695 in cash on hand. 

Sylvia Fisk (Republican) has raised $1,100 since January and has spent $10,050, according to her campaign finance filings. She is $8,950 in debt. 

Scott Robbins (Republican) has raised $1,396 since January and has spent the same amount, according to his campaign finance filings. He has no cash on hand. 

Brian King (Democrat) has raised $215,232, including $44,319 carried over from the previous reporting period and $170,913 raised since January, according to his campaign finance filings. He’s spent $126,188 and has $89,043 on hand. 

  • King’s fundraising through April 17 includes 1,293 individual contributions averaging $132.18, according to his campaign. 

Robert Latham (Libertarian) has raised $1,724 since January, according to his campaign finance filings. He’s spent $1,594 and has $130 in cash to spend. 

Tom Tomeny (unaffiliated) has raised $1,400 since January, according to his campaign finance filings. He’s spent $1,430. 

Tommy Williams (Independent American) has not reported any fundraising this year. 

Congressional District 1

Incumbent Rep. Blake Moore (Republican) has raised over $1.5 million, according to his FEC filings. He’s so far spent $899,584 and has more than $1.1 million in cash on hand. 

Other Republicans Moore is competing with at the Utah Republican Party’s nominating convention, Paul Miller and Derek Draper, have not reported any campaign fundraising. 

Bill Campbell (Democrat) has raised $34,000, according to his FEC filings. That’s entirely made up of contributions from himself. 

Congressional District 2

Incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy has raised over $1 million, according to her FEC filings. She’s so far spent $766,383 of that and has $289,646 on hand. 

Colby Jenkins has raised $232,135, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $62,245 and has $169,889 on hand. 

  • Jenkins’ contributions include $205,670 in large individual contributions (88.6%) and $26,465 in small individual contributions less than $200 (11.4%). He didn’t report any PAC contributions. 

Other candidates: Brian Adams (Democrat), Ty Jensen (Republican), and Cassie Easley (Constitution) haven’t filed FEC filings. In his last campaign finance report from March, unaffiliated candidate Tyler Murset reported $1,373 in total individual contributions. 

Congressional District 3 — Republicans

Case Lawrence has raised over $1.6 million — including nearly $1.3 million in loans from himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent over $1.4 million and has $195,809 in cash on hand. 

  • Lawrence’s contributions include $332,300 in large individual contributions (20.63%) and $3,772 in small contributions under $200 (0.23%). His loans to himself make up nearly 80% of his campaign financing. 

Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr. has raised over $1.16 million, including more than $1 million in loans to himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $364,486 and has $799,682 in cash on hand. 

  • Bird’s contributions include $102,540 in large individual contributions (9%) and $35,415 in small contributions less than $200 (3%). His over $1 million in loans makes up the bulk of his campaign finances, 88%. 

Utah Sen. Mike Kennedy has raised $497,670, including $156,000 in loans to himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent only $36,975 and has $460,695 in cash on hand. 

  • Kennedy’s contributions include $319,401 in large individual contributions (64.3%) and $6,269 in small contributions less than $200 (1.3%). He reported $16,000 in PAC contributions (3.2%). 

Utah Auditor John Dougall has raised $372,106, including $250,000 in loans to himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $164,093 and has $208,011 in cash on hand. 

  • Dougall’s contributions include $118,132 in large individual contributions (31.8%) and $3,973 in small contributions less than $200 (1%). His $250,000 in loans to himself makes up 67.2% of his campaign finances. 

Stewart Peay has raised $116,775, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $8,061 and has $108,713 in cash on hand. 

Kathryn Dahlin has raised $95,105, including $40,000 in loans to herself, according to her FEC filings. She’s spent $46,998 and has $48,306 in cash on hand. 

  • Dahlin’s fundraising includes $52,750 in large individual contributions  (55.5%) and $2,355 in small contributions under $200 (2.5%). Her $40,000 in loans makes up 42% of her campaign finances.  

Zac Wilson has raised $33,734, including $18,000 in loans to himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $8,283 and has $25,450 in cash on hand. 

  • Wilson’s fundraising includes $14,208 in large individual contributions (42%) and $1,525 in small contributions less than $200 (4.5%). His $18,000 in loans to himself makes up 53.3% of his campaign. 

Chris Herrod has raised $11,598, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $4,625 and has $6,973 in cash on hand. Herrod’s fundraising is entirely made up of large individual contributions. 

Lucky Bovo, another Republican candidate who is competing in Saturday’s nominating convention, has not reported any campaign fundraising. 

Glenn Wright, the only Democrat running for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, has raised $24,841, including $10,900 in loans to himself, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $12,951 and has $12,078 in cash on hand. 

  • Wright’s fundraising includes $6,800 in large individual contributions (27.4%) and $6,981 in small contributions less than $200 (28%). His $10,900 loan makes up 44.1% of his campaign finances.  

Congressional District 4

Incumbent Burgess Owens has raised $750,000, according to his FEC filings. He’s spent $767,522 and has $187,928 in cash on hand. 

Other candidates: Owens’ Democratic challenger Katrina Fallick-Wang has not yet reported any campaign contributions. Vaughn Cook, a United Utah candidate, has raised $19,603, including $5,800 in large individual contributions and $13,803 in loans to himself, according to his FEC filings. 

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