Utah Gov. Spencer Cox defeats GOP primary challenger Phil Lyman

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is one step closer to a second term after defeating gubernatorial GOP primary challenger state Rep. Phil Lyman on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Cox, who chairs the National Governors Association , has faced criticism from far-right Republicans throughout his first term.

By the numbers: Cox received almost 57% followed by Lyman with 43%, according to preliminary results posted at midnight .

• The AP called the race shortly after polls closed at 8pm.

The latest: Lyman refused to concede yesterday despite Cox's 14-percentage point lead.

• The former San Juan County commissioner has made unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in the days leading up to the primary.
• Lyman suggested voting machines had been tampered with days before the 2022 U.S. Senate GOP primary.

What they're saying: "If we had lost by five points, I would have called and congratulated him," Cox told reporters. "That's how we roll. That's how we do things."

Catch up quick: Cox vetoed a bill in 2022 that would have banned transgender girls from competing in high school sports teams that align with their gender identity — a move that got him lambasted by conservatives.

• He signed a more restrictive bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth the following year.
• In January, he signed a bill to dismantle DEI programs in government agencies and public colleges.

Context: Throughout the campaign, Lyman (R-Blanding) embraced his arrest after leading an illegal ATV protest on federal land in 2014. He was pardoned by Trump for it in 2020.

What we're watching: Cox will run against state Rep. Brian King , a Salt Lake City Democrat, in November.