If Curtis doesn’t run for his House seat, an old primary challenger will

Brigham Tomco
·2 min read
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Chris Herrod, GOP primary candidate in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, talks during a GOP primary debate in Salt Lake City on June 1, 2022. Herrod announced Monday that he will enter the 3rd District race to replace Rep. John Curtis if Curtis runs for Senate.
Chris Herrod, GOP primary candidate in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, talks during a GOP primary debate in Salt Lake City on June 1, 2022. Herrod announced Monday that he will enter the 3rd District race to replace Rep. John Curtis if Curtis runs for Senate. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Former state Rep. Chris Herrod intends to enter the 3rd Congressional District race if Rep. John Curtis runs for Senate, he told the Deseret News Monday.

Herrod has had his eyes on the seat — which represents the Wasatch Front from Provo to Sandy and nearly all of eastern Utah — for multiple election cycles.

He made a 3rd District bid in the 2017 special election that saw Curtis elected to Congress. Herrod proceeded to challenge the incumbent congressman in 2018 and 2022, winning the state Republican Party’s convention nomination both times but losing to Curtis in the primary.

With his high name-ID among party delegates, a consistent message focused on key issues and leftover material from past campaigns, Herrod said he is well positioned to enter the race once Curtis’ decision to swap the House for the Senate is finalized.

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“I think it’s a perfect timing for me,” Herrod told the Deseret News, joking, “they might be tired that I stay around (but) I believe in these issues.”

The Republican Party has “forgotten its roots,” according to Herrod, who said he has proved his conservative bona fides on issues like immigration and crime while serving as a state lawmaker from 2007 to 2012.

“People know that I haven’t changed,” Herrod said. “I’ve been consistent for 20 years on these issues.”

A future Herrod campaign would prioritize issues such as border security, parental rights in education and high housing costs, Herrod said.

A handful of other candidates have also shown interest in a 3rd District run if Curtis leaves the seat open for contestation.

State Sen. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah County, is exploring a campaign for Utah’s 3rd District, he told the Deseret News last week.

State Auditor John “Frugal” Dougall and Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird Jr. also confirmed with the Deseret News that they were being encouraged to enter the race.

While Curtis has not publicly announced his intention to forego his 2024 House reelection effort, it is widely speculated that his eyes are now firmly set on the U.S. Senate.

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