SALT LAKE CITY — Several candidates running for Utah Governor in 2024 have amassed sizeable war chests ahead of this weekend’s Republican and Democratic State Nominating Conventions.
Incumbent Republican Spencer Cox’s campaign is sitting on nearly $1 million despite raising less than Democrat Brian King during the first months of the year. Republican challenger Phil Lyman also massively outraised Cox, but the source of those funds is raising some eyebrows among campaign finance watchdogs.
Lyman’s campaign raised more than $800,000 since January, more than five times the donations reported by Cox. Lyman’s gubernatorial bid is propped up financially by a massive loan from a former Texas Congressional candidate and BYU football player and hundreds of thousands of dollars from a newly-created company that may help hide donors to his campaign.
Lyman reported $300,000 in donations from Lehi-based Government Leadership Solutions, which was registered with the state of Utah on Jan. 10, the same day Utah’s candidate filing period closed. Three days later, it donated $100,000 to Lyman’s campaign and made another $200,000 donation in March. It is unclear what business Government Leadership Solutions conducts.
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Written by BRIAN SCHOTT, Salt Lake Tribune. This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.