State Rep. Brian King to run for Utah governor in 2024
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Photo courtesy: Brian King for Governor
State Rep. Brian King, a Salt Lake City Democrat, announced on Monday that he will run in the Utah governor's race next year.
Details: The attorney and former Utah House minority leader, who was elected to the state Legislature in 2008, is the first prominent Democrat to publicly share plans to enter the 2024 gubernatorial race.
What's happening: So far, incumbent GOP Gov. Spencer Cox and state Rep. Phil Lyman, a Blanding Republican, have said they're running in the election next year.
The big picture: King told Axios Salt Lake City in an interview last week that Utahns "deserve better" than Cox, and criticized the first-term governor's failure to stand up to his party against government overreach.
- King cited statewide ballot initiatives that voters supported in 2018 to combat partisan gerrymandering, expand Medicaid and provide access to medical cannabis that were later watered down or dismissed by the GOP-controlled state Legislature.
King said the most significant issue in the state is lawmakers' recent efforts to limit the reproductive rights of Utahns.
What they're saying: "'Disagreeing better doesn't mean you just fall in line with what the majority's position is on everything," said King, referring to Cox's National Governors Association initiative to reduce partisan polarization.
- The other side: "Gov. Cox is proud of his record helping Utah families," Matt Lusty, Cox's campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.
Flashback: Cox in 2020 defeated his Democratic opponent Chris Peterson by a wide margin (63% to 30%), per official general election results.
Between the lines: Candidates in Utah can only run for one political office during an election year, with few exceptions. That means King will not seek re-election in the Utah House next year.
- King said he has not yet decided who will join him on the ticket as lieutenant governor candidate.
Zoom in: King represents House District 23, which includes portions of Salt Lake and Summit counties.
Reality check: Voters have not sent a Democrat to the Utah governor's office since two-term Utah Gov. Scott Matheson won re-election in 1980.