Republican gubernatorial hopeful Carson Jorgensen named Corrine Johnson, the co-founder of the conservative Utah Parents United group, as his running mate ahead of Saturday’s GOP State Convention.
“Her conservative credentials are unquestioned, as is her practical experience in politics and government,” Jorgensen said in a news release Thursday. “Corinne will be a tremendous asset in this campaign and our future administration.”
Jorgensen, the former state GOP chair, is one of four Republicans challenging incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox for the Republican nomination. He needs to get at least 40% of support from delegates at Saturday’s Republican State Nominating Convention to advance to the June 25 primary election. In his statement, Jorgensen said having Johnson on his ticket should thrill those Republican delegates he’s hoping to win over.
Johnson, in the same news release, said she was excited by the opportunity.
“I’ve been working closely with Carson to champion conservative values for years, and I’m excited to take a more active role,” Johnson said.
Since its formation during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Utah Parents United has become a powerful voice on education issues among Republican lawmakers. The organization loudly advocated for the private school voucher program, which allows parents to use public funds to pay for private school tuition or homeschooling. The program was approved by lawmakers in 2023.
Johnson’s group has also advocated for several right-wing issues. Earlier this year, she pushed for lawmakers to pass HB257, which restricts the bathrooms in public buildings that transgender people are allowed to use. In 2021, she urged followers to pressure lawmakers to take action against teaching Critical Race Theory in Utah schools, even though it is not part of the curriculum.
In addition to her work with UPU, Johnson is the senior policy advisor for Republican Salt Lake County Councilmember Dave Alvord. Last year, Alvord and Johnson were criticized for spending thousands of dollars of taxpayer money to attend the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conference in Orlando, Florida. Johnson was the only council staffer to attend the conference.
Utah GOP rules require candidates for lieutenant governor to be ratified by delegates at the convention to be placed on the ballot. None of the other Republican challengers have named their running mates yet.
