Republican Derek Brown, a former legislator and lobbyist, pulled out a victory in Utah’s GOP attorney general primary election, defeating Rachel Terry and Frank Mylar.
As of 10 p.m., Brown held a 35,000-vote lead over Terry in second in the race with Mylar in third, according to unofficial returns.
“I feel good. For the last couple of months it’s just been getting the message out, just telling people what I’m going to do as attorney general, helping them understand who I am and what are my priorities,” Brown said Tuesday evening. “Number one is protecting, protecting kids, protecting the most vulnerable, protecting the state.”
Brown will face Rudy Bautista, the Democratic nominee, and Michelle Quist, the United Utah Party nominee, in November’s general election to replace embattled Attorney General Sean Reyes. (Quist is a former columnist and former member of The Salt Lake Tribune’s editorial board.)
The last Democrat to win the seat was Jan Graham in 1996.
Although Mylar was the Republican delegates’ favorite at the state convention, Terry won enough support to advance to the primary, while Brown gathered signatures to secure a place on the ballot. It quickly became a contest between Brown and Terry, who is the director of the state’s Division of Risk Management.
Brown, who won the endorsements of Gov. Spencer Cox and Sen. Mike Lee during the campaign, is a former lobbyist and legislator — a point that Terry said during the race, while highlighting Brown’s work lobbying for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, presents a conflict of interest in the state’s ongoing lawsuit which alleges the social media company’s algorighm was harmful to children.
Brown said he advised the company to work with the state to develop tools so parents can manage their kids’ use of the platforms and he doesn’t have a conflict because he quit being a registered lobbyist in December, a few weeks after he announced his bid for attorney general.
Terry also challenged Brown’s fundraising and endorsements — Brown raised about $1 million to Terry’s $190,000 — suggesting it meant he was beholden to his backers and could not be independent.
The Tribune first reported in December that Reyes would not seek another term as attorney general in the midst of questions over his decade-long friendship with Tim Ballard, the founder of the anti-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct and assault.
Reyes announced at the time his office would launch a criminal investigation into Ballard’s conduct. The Utah Legislature also launched an audit into the management of the attorney general’s office and what influence Ballard may have had. The audit is expected to be released later this year.
All three candidates promised to restore trust and integrity in the office through additional transparency and outreach, including holding town halls.
