In this episode:

John Curtis for governor? Host Bryan Schott digs into the Politico report that U.S. Sen. John Curtis is exploring a run for governor in 2028. Curtis has name ID, money, and nothing to lose (he doesn't have to give up his Senate seat to run). Bryan sizes up the emerging field, including Jason Chaffetz, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, and Speaker Mike Schultz—and explains why Curtis's entry reshapes the whole race.

The Box Elder data center fallout. Kevin O'Leary is losing it. Bryan updates listeners on the MIDA-backed data center project in Box Elder County, the viral misinformation spreading about Gov. Spencer Cox, and why the people pushing this project don't seem to have a tenant lined up yet.

Gerrymandering, Prop 4, and the Blake Moore primary. Bryan explains why the real stakes of the Prop. 4 fight are in the legislative maps, not the congressional ones, and why the Moore vs. Lisonbee primary could be a bellwether for how angry GOP voters actually are about redistricting.

Plus, a candidate drops out of a state school board race over a fight about...a Facebook page, and Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez is out after buying a house outside her district.

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Utah Senate President Stuart Adams is under fire for some questionable donations to his political action committee, and he's not answering a single question about it.

This week Utah Political Watch reported five individuals and companies with deep financial ties to MIDA (the Military Installation Development Authority)—the powerful unelected state agency that Adams has chaired since 2008—collectively wrote $135,000 in checks to his leadership PAC on a single day, just one week after MIDA voted to approve the massive "Wonder Valley" / Project Stratos data center in Box Elder County.

Those checks were the five largest donations in the history of Adams' PAC. And Adams has already transferred the largest sum ever from that PAC to his own campaign account, as he faces his toughest reelection primary yet.

Rep. Trevor Lee had a very, very bad week. He lost the Davis County GOP convention vote to Bob Stevenson. That came a few days after a website dropped with serious fraud allegations from two former employers. One features a signed confession of check fraud. The other involves explosive claims that Lee tried to use his legislative office to help steer a federal contract at Hill Air Force Base in exchange for retiring a $93,000 personal debt he owed to his employer.

The CD1 Democratic primary is getting more complicated by the day. What started as a two-person race is now a likely four- or five-way contest heading into convention weekend. Why Ben McAdams is the clear frontrunner—cash, name ID, and a district that's not as progressive as some assume—and why old online posts from Nate Blouin attacking the LDS church could be a serious liability in November, regardless of what happens in the primary.

Plus: Celeste Maloy qualifies for the CD3 primary via signatures while Phil Lyman races the clock; the legislature's investigation of Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen and what it's really about; Ken Ivory's close call in HD39; a preview of the state Republican and Democratic conventions; and Bryan's evening at the Bruce Springsteen show in Phoenix.

In this episode: 

• a last-minute U.S.-Iran ceasefire
• the beginning of convention season
• Utah's looming voter privacy rollback
• Sen. Mike Lee's rumored AG buzz
• and the subscriber-exclusive debut of the Utah Political Watch Race Ratings system.

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Another busy week in Utah politics: 

• Breaking down a new poll in CD1
• Candidates are facing signature-gathering deadlines
• Prop. 4 failed to qualify for the ballot—what happens next?
• The map that could end Celeste Maloy's career
• SCOTUS rules against Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, but experts say it shouldn't impact Utah's ban.

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In this replay of a livestream recorded on March 24, 2026, we cover a lot of political news: Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall's creative legal gambit to potentially block a proposed ICE detention facility using water conservation rules; the razor-thin status of the Prop 4 repeal signature campaign with one Senate district teetering on the edge; the congressional races in Utah's new House districts; the unintended consequences of the Utah Republican Party's new one-year registration rule; Sen. Mike Lee's SAVE Act and the Lieutenant Governor's pushback; and more listener Q&A.

Topics & Timestamps

[00:00] — Introduction
[00:05:58] — SLC’s Water Ordinance Gambit to Block ICE Facility[00:14:50] — Prop 4 Repeal Update: Life Support in SD-15
[00:22:01] — Congressional Races: CD2 (Moore vs. Lisonbee) & CD3 (Lyman vs. Maloy)
[00:35:24] — The GOP’s One-Year Registration Rule: Unintended Consequences
[00:45:55] — Lt. Governor Henderson Pushes Back on Mike Lee’s SAVE Act
[01:05:30] — Closing & The Press Credential Lawsuit Update

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This episode is from the March 2, 2026 livestream:

• The Utah legislature is in its final week, with significant discussions on the state budget and tax cuts.
• Proposition 4 has qualified for the ballot, but signature removal efforts are ongoing and contentious.
• Legislative shenanigans are evident in the handling of various bills, including those related to transgender youth and immigration.
• Tax cuts are being prioritized despite budget constraints, benefiting primarily high-income earners.
• The upcoming election season is shaping up to be competitive, with potential shifts in party representation.

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In this recording of our livestream from Jan. 26, 2026, we break down the numbers on Utah's Prop 4 repeal effort—and they're not looking good for signature gatherers. With just 20 days left and barely 40% of their statewide goal met, even Trump's endorsement might not be enough to save the anti-gerrymandering law repeal campaign. 

Plus: Why is the Supreme Court expansion bill going to the Business and Labor Committee instead of Judiciary? We explain the legislative chess moves and timing issues around SB 134. Also covered: Senator John Curtis calls for an independent ICE investigation, new bills targeting Pride flags and voter registration, and the legislature's plan to cut taxes while slashing higher ed funding by $94 million.

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On this episode of Special Session:

• The most competitive legislative races in the 2026 midterms.
• Senate President Stuart Adams is in the political fight of his life.
• Redistricting court battle update.
• Will Utah's members of Congress push back on Trump's military action in Venezuela?

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Politico's Jonathan Martin joins the show to discuss his provocative argument that Utah Governor Spencer Cox should mount a 2028 presidential campaign focused on tech regulation and AI. But this isn't about winning the White House—it's about forcing a critical issue into the national conversation.

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