In a striking display of internal party discord, multiple elected Republicans skipped the Davis County GOP’s Lincoln Day fundraiser on Saturday, protesting the party’s decision to bankroll a primary challenge against one of their own.
Sources tell Utah Political Watch the rebellion was in response to the Davis County GOP pouring $15,000 — a staggering 80% of her total campaign funds — into Jennifer Garner’s failed attempt to unseat incumbent Rep. Stewart Barlow. Though Garner defeated Barlow at the Davis County GOP convention. Barlow had already secured his spot on the ballot by collecting signatures, a move Garner did not match.
According to the Davis GOP’s bylaws, a candidate who takes the signature path to qualify for the primary election must receive at least 40% support at the convention to receive support from the party. Barlow got 43% of the delegate vote, which is why many Republicans felt the party should not have inserted itself in the race.
Despite the significant financial backing from the party, Barlow cruised past Garner in the primary election by nearly 30 percentage points.
The decision to use party money to try and unseat Barlow irked many Republicans who did not want to financially support the party for fear their donations could be used against them in future elections.
The party did provide some financial backing to a pair of incumbent lawmakers facing primary elections — Rep. Trevor Lee received $10,000 for his primary race, while Rep. Ray Ward got $5,000. Unlike Barlow, Lee and Ward secured the most delegate support at the convention.
In addition to winning the convention vote, Ward also collected signatures to secure his spot on the primary ballot. In response, hardliners pushed through a rule change prohibiting the party from providing any support to candidates who collect signatures.
Another motivating factor behind Saturday’s de facto boycott was another change to party bylaws blocking elected officials or lobbyists from holding a seat on the GOP’s State Central Committee, which is the governing body for the Utah Republican Party. Davis is the only county Republican Party with that rule.
The event was headlined by keynote speaker Treniss Evans, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Evans allegedly drank shots of Fireball whiskey in Nancy Pelosi’s office during the attack.
The impact of the boycott on fundraising remains unclear. Sources with knowledge of the event say the party essentially broke even financially. Davis County GOP Chairman Yemi Arunsi did not respond to questions from Utah Political Watch.
