Utah state Rep. Phil Lyman starts bid for governor

2024 Candidate for Governor, Phil Lyman. Photo: Lyman for Utah

Lyman will challenge incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox in the Republican primaries in 2024

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah state Rep. Phil Lyman has declared his candidacy for Utah governor in 2024.

Lyman, who represents the 69th district in the Utah House of Representatives, announced his candidacy in a Youtube video on Oct. 31.

Lyman will challenge incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox in the Republican primaries in 2024.

“Utah didn’t elect a governor to politely negotiate the terms of our surrender. We elected a governor to stand up for us, to be a steward of the lands and the resources, and for the people of Utah. That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Lyman said in the video announcing his candidacy.

Before being elected to the Legislature in 2019, Lyman served as a San Juan County commissioner for eight years. During that time, Lyman was arrested for trespassing after leading a protest against the Bureau of Land Management in 2014.

Lyman, during his tenure as a state legislator, actively supported 65 bills as their sponsor or co-sponsor over the course of four sessions.

Lyman also held the role of chair or co-chair within the conservative caucus throughout his time in office, advocating for causes such as property and water rights, rural health care, natural resources management, addressing the critical needs of indigenous populations, and resisting federal efforts to influence areas of state authority.

Lyman has outlined several priorities in the campaign, including achieving energy independence for Utah, strengthening county decision-making authority, assisting families through housing initiatives, safeguarding parental rights, allocating resources to infrastructure development, and advocating for individual rights, among other objectives.

“I looked around the state, and I see a lot of people that are frustrated, myself included, with the kind of direction this state is going in,” Lyman said on the PoliticIt podcast.