Owens says progressives are getting involved with GOP primaries to shift Utah leftward

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Rep. Burgess Owens is issuing a warning to his in-state Republicans: Progressives are “inside the gate,” and they want to shift the Beehive State leftward.

For decades, Utah has been known as a bastion of conservatism in the Mountain West region. The state has reliably supported Republican values and has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964.

But the retiring congressman is urging Republicans to keep a watchful eye in their party’s primary elections, raising concerns about what he sees as left-leaning organizations gaining a foothold in the red state.

“They are here, inside the gate, and hoping we will not notice,” Owens wrote in a lengthy op-ed post to social media on Monday. “For generations, Utahns have lived inside what I call a freedom bubble — a culture of faith, family, prosperity, safety, and trust that much of America lost decades ago. That trust remains one of our greatest strengths. It is also becoming our greatest vulnerability.”

Owens pointed to the efforts of left-leaning national groups to recruit progressive candidates to run for office in Utah, particularly those funded by former Obama administration officials. The national group has said it’s “betting on Utah’s shifting political landscape,” citing data suggesting the Beehive State has moved further to the left over the last 20 years than any other state.

While that data can mostly be attributed to demographic changes increasing the number of voters who affiliate with the Democratic Party, Owens said that progressives view Utah as the perfect opportunity to shift a conservative state to the left.

“The progressive left did not choose Utah because it would be easy. They chose Utah because our culture, our faith, and our families are the prize,” he wrote. “They are counting on our optimism to keep us from seeing the danger until the damage is beyond repair. They are counting on us to be too busy, too trusting, and too nice to notice. But they have forgotten who we are, and are hoping we have as well.”

GOP incumbents ousted in primaries showcase effort to shift Utah, Owens says

The efforts to get involved with Utah elections are already underway, Owens argued.

The three-term Republican pointed to instances in which GOP candidates have hired left-leaning campaign firms to defeat Republican incumbents with strong conservative records. While those partnerships don’t directly elevate Democratic candidates, Owens says it helps to finance the progressive movement to invest in left-leaning candidates elsewhere.

State Senate President Stuart Adams’ primary loss is a prime example, Owens said. While his defeat was largely attributed to his support of the controversial Box Elder County data center, Owens argued that was only part of the picture.

“Look behind the curtain, and you find a rogues’ gallery that actively weaponized the controversy and amplified it with the intention to shift Utah to the left,” he said. “They succeeded.”

Adams was defeated by challenger Stephanie Hollist, who lists herself as a “traditional Republican” on her campaign website and describes herself as a fiscal conservative. However, Owens cited campaign finance records that showed Hollist paid more than $35,000 to Apollo Political, a campaign firm with clients such as the Utah Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood Action Council of Utah, former Rep. Ben McAdams and other local Democratic candidates.

Campaign finance disclosure records show Hollist made four separate payments to Apollo between April and June 2026.

Owens also pointed to Jake Hunsaker’s campaign, who defeated Nik Anderson in the GOP primary for House District 48 this summer. Hunsaker paid nearly $9,000 in two payments to Apollo during the primary election cycle.

“This subversive model is simple, and it is effective,” Owens wrote. “Progressive operatives sell campaign services to Republican primary candidates. Republican donors unknowingly finance those campaigns. The firm collects its fees knocking conservatives out of Republican primaries — then turns that same revenue toward electing Democrats in November. Republican dollars build the very machine working to dismantle Republican values. It is calculated. It is cunning. And it funds itself.”

Those payments, Owens argues, line the pockets of a group with a goal to elect progressive candidates. Apollo’s previous mission statement stated its goal as “helping Utah Progressives get elected and create positive change in our community.”

That statement has recently been removed from its website, and the group no longer makes any mention of electing one party over the other.

“Congressman Owens is trying to create controversy where none exists,” Mason Hughes, founder of Apollo Political, told the Deseret News in a statement. “It is common practice for political consultants to take clients on both sides of the aisle, regardless of their personal political leanings.”

Republican candidates deny being aligned with left-leaning firms

While the candidates’ hiring of political firms does not directly go toward financing Democratic campaigns, Owens warned it creates a lifeline for progressive groups. By paying those groups for their services, it makes them more viable to finance Democratic candidates in other campaigns, he said.

However, both Hollist and Hunsaker rejected suggestions their campaigns would play a role in making Utah less conservative.

“This isn’t the first time a career politician has questioned my conservative credentials. An entire campaign of personal attacks was driven by the incumbent for months,” Hollist told the Deseret News in a statement. “My voters know me and the Republican values I stand for. Congressman Owens does not. I was honored to earn the trust of my district as the Republican nominee and will prove that I’m more focused on serving them than playing political games.”

Hunsaker similarly pushed back on Owens’ assessment. Hunsaker, who unsuccessfully ran against Owens in the Republican primary in 2022, said that race forced him to reconsider his strategy.

Hunsaker was vastly outraised by Owens in that primary, prompting him to hire Apollo Political — which he described as a “a local Utah-based canvassing firm” — in order to expand voter outreach.

“I’m proud of the campaign we built,” Hunsaker said in a statement. “We focused on meeting voters where they were, having real conversations, and talking about the issues that matter most to Utah families. That approach earned a decisive double-digit victory, despite endorsements from national politicians on the other side and significant outside spending in support of my opponent.”