ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT
Derek Brown says decision to run for Utah AG wasn’t related to Reyes’ announcement
Dec 12, 2023, 6:00 PM
Derek Brown speaks during the Utah Republican Party convention at the Utah Valley University UCCU Center in Orem on Saturday, May 4, 2019. (Silas Walker/Deseret News)
(Silas Walker/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The former chair of the Utah GOP is officially running for Utah attorney general. Derek Brown, a former host of KSL At Night, made the announcement today. He announced an exploratory committee for the position last week.
Tuesday’s announcement comes days after the current Utah Attorney General, Sean Reyes, announced that he will not seek re-election to the office. Nearly a month ago, Reyes was elected the new chair of the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Brown told KSL NewsRadio’s Inside Sources, that Reyes’ announcement didn’t impact his decision to run.
“The truth is, whether the current attorney general was going to run or not was never a function. We were indicating that we were looking at whether it made sense to do this. And whether I can make a difference.”
Former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert was leading the exploratory committee and will now lead Brown’s campaign.
“He’s got kind of a wide variety of talents that he’s demonstrated in the marketplace,” the former governor said. “And now, people just like him. He’s a likable guy.”
Herbert said Brown’s experience as a political party chair will help Utahns.
“He’s been the party chairman for the Republican Party. He took it out of a very difficult time when they had a lot of debt,” the former governor said. “The money that was owed, to a solid footing, left it with a surplus of money when he stepped down. Helped bring people together.”
Brown is a former state lawmaker who represented Sandy City in the Utah House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014. He chaired the Utah GOP from 2019 to 2021.
Brown is the first person to officially enter the race for Utah attorney general.
