Former Utah Republican Party chair Thomas Wright announced Thursday that he had chosen retiring Rep. Rob Bishop as his candidate for lieutenant governor. The move came days after Bishop, a self-described “horrible” candidate who had already decided not to seek re-election to the House, announced that he would support Wright’s bid for governor rather than run for the top job himself.
Utah is one of several states where gubernatorial candidates choose a running mate before the primary and the pair go on to win or lose the nomination together. Candidates for lieutenant governor usually don’t have much of an impact on the race because most voters only focus their attention on the top of the ticket, but Bishop could be different. The congressman has represented a very red seat in northern Utah since 2003, and he could give Wright a lift in his constituency.
Bishop could also be an asset if he chooses to transfer some of all of the $300,000 sitting in his congressional account to Wright’s campaign, and The Salt Lake Tribune asked the congressman if he’d be doing this on Thursday. “Maybe,” Bishop responded, “maybe not.”
P.S. While it’s rare to see a sitting congressman run for lieutenant governor, it’s happened twice over the last few years. Arkansas Rep. Tim Griffin decided to retire from Congress during the 2014 cycle after just two terms in office, but the Republican announced a few months later that he would run for lieutenant governor after the incumbent resigned in disgrace. Griffin won that job, and he’s already seeking the 2022 GOP nomination for governor.
Last cycle, Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan eyed a run for governor of Minnesota but ultimately decided to stay out of the race. Nolan went on to announce his retirement from Congress, but he decided to join Attorney General Lori Swanson’s gubernatorial campaign a few months later as her running mate. However, the Swanson-Nolan ticket ended up taking third place in the primary to Rep. Tim Walz, who went on to win the general election.
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