“Panic Room” Discovered under Hildebrandt’s Home while Staggs Earns Trump Endorsement for Senate Bid; Utah GOP Convention Divided Between Moderates and Conservatives in Primary Race

Police uncover a hidden “panic room” or “safe room” underneath Jodi Hildebrandt’s garage while investigating her Ivins, Utah residence. Meanwhile, at the recent Utah Republican Party convention, Trent Staggs received former President Donald Trump’s endorsement and was subsequently selected as their nominee to replace Mitt Romney in the U.S. Senate race. However, this support may not translate into success during the primary election on June 25th where other contenders such as John Curtis and Brad Wilson are also running. Utah historically sees little bearing of party conventions regarding elections results, making it uncertain whether Staggs will be victorious in November against Democrat Caroline Gleich who has already been nominated by her party for the election. Delegates at the convention were split between moderate candidates such as Governor Spencer Cox and incumbent GOP nominee John Curtis versus more far-right contenders like Trent Staggs, state Rep. Phil Lyman (who was chosen to run against Cox), and former Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson who has endorsed Trump’s reelection bid. The nearly 4000 delegates mostly opted for convention-only candidates that avoided collecting signatures in a practice seen as circumventing the traditional process by some party members such as Cache County delegate Tim Lindsay, while others like Curtis were viewed favorably due to their proven results during their tenure within Congress. In response, Cox said: “Maybe you hate that I don’t hate enough”. As primary voting day draws closer on June 25th, political observers predict Governor Spencer Cox remains the likely favorite in the race against his challenger Phil Lyman who is best known for organizing an unlawful ATV ride to protest a federal land decision back in 2014. This move followed closures by federal officials that restricted motorized vehicles within southeast Utah’s canyons, citing Native American cliff dwellings and artifacts as reasons behind the closure which Lyman deemed overreach from the government. During his speech at the convention, Lyman reminded delegates of this short sentence he received in 2015 for misdemeanor charges related to unlawful use of ATVs and conspiracy before pledging to continue fighting against federal land policies if elected as Governor of Utah. The primary will serve as a litmus test regarding former President Trump’s popularity in the Beehive State, given his ongoing legal proceedings including an active hush money trial at present.