King and Lyman mimic ‘Disagree Better’ ad, join forces against Cox

Gubernatorial hopefuls Brian King, a Democrat, and Phil Lyman, a Republican running a write-in campaign, appear in a joint ad against Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. (Screenshot of King campaign ad)

If gubernatorial hopeful Phil Lyman had accomplished his goal to be on the general election ballot as the Republican candidate, he would have officially faced Democratic nominee Brian King in November.

But, after losing the primary and a legal challenge contesting the election, Lyman showed up beside King in a new ad , mimicking a promotion of Gov. Spencer Cox’s “Disagree Better” campaign.

Among winks and cheeky remarks, including a description of Lyman as “former (or current depending on who you ask) GOP candidate for Utah Governor, *litigation pending*,” the two hopefuls made clear they disagree on policies on public lands, education curriculum, reproductive rights, election processes and the role of government.

However, they said, there’s something they do agree on.

“Spencer Cox should not be our next governor,” they said in unison in the ad.

King and Lyman are both in the last stretch of their tenures in the Utah House of Representatives, roles they gave up to run for the state’s executive office. The ad promotes King’s campaign in a state that predominantly votes red and hasn’t had a Democratic governor since 1985.

King hopes that a “coalition of pragmatists made up of Utahns who are looking for change — Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike,” make a change this year.

“Unfortunately, the Spencer Cox who has been in the governor’s office for the last 4 years is not the Spencer Cox who was elected in 2020. Regardless of which side of the aisle you are on, Cox has proven that he is unreliable, unprincipled, and untrustworthy,” King wrote in a statement released with the video. “On this, Phil and I agree.”

While Lyman is a Republican, he has been a vocal critic of Cox, most recently unsuccessfully requesting that the Utah Supreme Court annul the GOP primary election result, make him the Republican candidate based on his convention votes, and unseat Cox for the remainder of his term. In a King campaign news release, Lyman condemned Cox’s leadership.

“Utah needs leaders with unshakable character — those who will confront challenges head-on and engage in direct, honest conversations to move our state forward,” Lyman said. “While Representative King and I may not see eye to eye on everything, I’ve sat beside him in the House for years and have seen his unwavering commitment to his principles and the causes he believes in.”

Despite his unexpected appearance alongside King, Lyman continued to promote a write-in campaign on his social media accounts, confirming his quest for the governor’s office is serious.

“The ad should confirm my seriousness. I am running as a write in candidate because I believe Utahns deserve a conservative choice, instead of two Democrats,” Lyman wrote on X .

The ad sparked buzz across social media. After a King campaign post on X , some Democrats jumped on to praise the ad while Republicans criticized Lyman’s involvement.

In response to the ad, the Cox campaign didn’t mention Lyman by name, and seemed to address the state’s Republicans, speaking on what it would mean to have King as governor. The choice, Matt Lusty, Cox campaign spokesperson said, is between “Utah values or liberal, California-style policy positions.”

“Brian King is ranked every year as one of the most liberal members of the Utah Legislature. He has sponsored bills to dramatically increase taxes and limit the Second Amendment rights of Utah citizens,” Lusty said in a statement. “Losing is hard, but encouraging others to elect someone who believes in a Gavin Newsom style of government is the wrong solution for Utah.”

Correction: A previous version of this story stated Lyman showed apparent support for King. Despite Lyman’s appearance in the ad, the King campaign said Lyman isn’t supporting King.

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