Natalie Cline loses Utah school board seat after Salt Lake GOP nominates Amanda Bollinger

Controversial Utah State Board of Education member Natalie Cline was ousted from her seat Saturday after losing the Salt Lake County Republican Nominating Convention.

Amanda Bollinger received more than 63% of the delegate vote, giving her the party’s nomination in November and ending Cline’s bid for a second term in the 9th District seat.

In February, Cline drew calls for his resignation from lawmakers and others after he falsely suggested that a female athlete was transgender. Ironically, Cline’s dismissal came at Cottonwood High School, where the targeted athlete was a student.

Bollinger was happy following the news of his victory.

“It means that people care about children,” Bollinger told reporters. “And it means that people are willing to trust me to help put public education faith in our system, so that means a lot.”

Cline declined to speak to the media on Saturday. During his assembly speech, he directed the school to educate children instead of teaching them.

“There are divisive ideologies being taught, turning our children into activists, encouraging them to stimulate social change inside and outside of school. And this is not right,” Cline said.

While GOP delegates ousted Cline on Saturday, they gave the party’s nomination for state school board District 7 to Kris Kimball, who defeated incumbent Molly Hart. Kimball, who holds many of the same political positions as Cline, said he “felt moved by God” to enter the race.

“We all know the damage that critical race theory can have on our children, teaching them to judge others based on the color of their skin. It’s against our Christian values ​​and what Dr. Martin Luther King preached,” he told delegates. “He spoke about the day whose four little children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

There is no evidence that critical race theory, an academic theory that acknowledges racism, is being taught across the board in Utah schools.

Kimball’s victory did not eliminate Hart from the race, as he had already qualified for the primary through signature gathering.

‘You’re just going to let me do this?’

If Saturday is any indication, there is some dissatisfaction with Gov. Spencer Cox among a significant number of GOP delegates. The governor, who is seeking re-election, spoke at the Salt Lake and Davis County conventions on Saturday.

Cox, who faces an internal party challenge from his political right, patted himself on the back for major tax cuts approved by Congress in the past three years, school vouchers and for sending resources to Texas to help Gov. Greg Abbott’s conflict over policy. of immigration and the federal government. He also briefly mentioned some of the culture war issues that are important to many in the GOP base.

“We made a promise that we would protect life. We passed and signed the most pro-abortion laws and regulations in the history of our state because we care about life, especially the life of the unborn,” Cox told Salt Lake County delegates. “I don’t have time to go through everything. , but we’ve stopped CRT, we’ve stopped ESG, we’ve stopped DEI,” Cox said.

At the Davis County Legislative Nomination Convention, challenger and state Rep. Phil Lyman followed Cox’s similar remarks with a jab, saying, “It’s the Legislature that does that, not the governor.”

During Cox’s speech in Murray, a few delegates shouted, “RINO,” short for “Republican In Name Only.” There was an almost equal mixture of cheers and cheers from Cox’s delegation at the conclusion of his speech.

Convention attendees had similar sentiments when the moderator appeared in Clearfield. There, Cox couldn’t begin his speech until party Chairman Yemi Arunsi stood up to say, “Between the lines.”

“I’ll let you call as soon as I leave,” Cox told the nearly packed house. “You’re just going to let me do this? Will you give me that honor?”

Vote to stop using ERIC

Among the six Republican caucuses that met Saturday, most considered a resolution calling for the state to withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a statewide database that allows election officials to manage their voter lists.

ERIC has become a bully in some conservative circles following former President Donald Trump’s false claims that his defeat in the 2020 election was due to voter fraud. Conspiracy theorists — and the language of the resolution — say ERIC is funded by liberal billionaire George Soros, another target of right-wing conspiracy theories, and run by left-wing activists. None of those claims are true.

After lies about ERIC surfaced on the right-wing, conspiracy-mongering website Gateway Pundit, at least nine states have withdrawn from the system.

The sponsor of the resolution in Davis County, Teena Horlacher, told delegates that the data cited in her text came from the conservative activist group Judicial Watch.

In 2020, its president advanced the theory that former congresswoman Nancy Pelosi would claim the White House for herself, and urged attendees at the National Policy Council meeting to suspend mail-in ballots from voters.

Salt Lake County GOP delegates were less than eager to discuss the resolution. After a quick vote to end the debate, they adopted the position by voice vote.

In Davis County, County Clerk Brian McKenzie stood up to urge his fellow members to reject the resolution, saying it is “one of the most important tools I have” to ensure the county’s voter rolls are accurate.

Davis County delegates passed the resolution 283-202.

Salt Lake County mayoral race

Erin Rider won the Salt Lake County GOP nomination, defeating Yianni (John) Ioannou. Rider won more than 77% of the delegate vote after repeatedly attacking incumbent Democrat Jenny Wilson for “not controlling taxes and spending.”

“Homelessness is rampant in our county, taxes are out of control. Home prices are the highest they’ve ever been,” Rider said. “It’s time to plan for the future, not look to the White House for marching orders.”

GOP congressional race

Davis County Republicans voted again to send Rep. Trevor Lee, of Layton, to the Capitol to represent House District 16. Lee has been a controversial member of the state Republican caucus in the House of Representatives — an opinion he proudly proclaimed to delegates, saying he aims to prevent Utah from being “destroyed” as “the blue states of the left.”

Lee has previously come under fire for social media posts attacking LGTBQ+ people and women, and other online comments prompted her Democratic colleagues to issue a statement condemning “repeated acts of alleged racism by elected officials on social media platforms.” social.”

After collecting more than 1,000 voter signatures, Republican Daniela Harding will challenge Lee in the June primary. His seat is considered at risk after seeing the lowest percentage of votes, 48.5%, of any parliamentary candidate who won in the 2022 general election.

“I will prioritize practical solutions over political theatrics,” Harding told delegates, scrutinizing Lee.

Two other sitting state lawmakers — House District 17’s Rep. Stewart Barlow, of Fruit Heights, and House District 19’s Rep. Ray Ward, of Bountiful, who both collected signatures — will see their races advance to a primary election after delegates vote. vote in favor of their Republican opponents. Barlow will face Jennifer Garner, and Ward’s GOP opponent is Tenna Hartman.

Senator Wayne Harper, the longest-serving member of the Legislature, was forced into the primary by state school board member Christina Boggess. Boggess beat Harper 53.8% to 46.2% among delegates. Harper had already qualified for the playoffs through the signature collection.

Incumbent Representative Jeff Stenquist was voted out in a conference call by Draper City Council Member Cal Roberts. Roberts got 87.5% to Stenquist’s 12.5%. Roberts’ delegate win was only symbolic, though, as both men collected signatures to move into the playoffs.

Doug Fiefia ran with the GOP nomination in the House District 48 race to replace Republican James Cobb, who is retiring after one term. Fiefia passed to Goud Maragani, who ran unsuccessfully for Salt Lake County Clerk in 2022.

Race to replace retiring GOP Rep. Robert Spendlove heads into a playoff between Clint Okerlund and Chad Westover. Neither could reach the 60% threshold to win outright nominations.

Former Representative Tajiri Cunningham is taking another chance to regain the seat he vacated in 2016 when he unsuccessfully ran for the Utah State Legislature. Cunningham will face Tracy Miller in the primary election to replace Rep. Susan Pulsipher, who is retiring from the Legislature at the end of the year.

Representative Ken Ivory easily defeated Lisa Dean among delegates. Dean avoided elimination Saturday by qualifying for the primary through a signature gathering.

Former Representative Fred Cox is also hoping for a return trip to the Utah Capitol. He narrowly defeated delegates on Saturday but must face David Parke, who collected signatures, in the GOP primary.

State Sen. Daniel Thatcher is aiming to move from the Legislature to an open Salt Lake County Council seat, but he will have to win a primary to capture the party’s nomination. Carlos Moreno was able to get the party by the head from the delegates, receiving more than 60% of the votes. Thatcher had already qualified for the primaries through the pre-convention signature method.