With a strong, last-minute blessing from former President Donald Trump on Saturday night, MAGA Republican and Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs swept the endorsement for U.S. Senator at the Utah Republican State Convention.
Blasting retiring Sen. Mitt Romney as a "total loser" and hailing Staggs as a "100 percent MAGA Republican" who knows how to ensure the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump issued his endorsement just before the first of four ballots was taken by the 4,000-plus convention delegates.
On the fourth ballot, Staggs finally managed the two-thirds of the vote needed to become the nominee.
"Let's replace Joe Biden's favorite Republican with Donald Trump's favorite Republican in Utah," Staggs said to wildly cheering delegates, making it clear that 2012 Republican presidential nominee Romney is still a much-disliked figure among GOP activists in the Beehive State.
But Staggs is not the nominee yet.
He still faces three other opponents in the primary on June 25 — former state House Speaker Brad Wilson, who also aligns himself with Trump; Rep. John Curtis, who has been criticized on the right for working with Democrats on climate change and other issues; and multi-millionaire pest control magnate Jason Walton, a political newcomer.
All three secured access to the primary ballot by collecting the 28,000 certified signatures of voters and bypassing the convention.
One who failed to get the required signatures for the primary was attorney Brent Hatch, son of the late and much-revered Sen. Orrin Hatch.
While the elder Hatch served in the Senate for a record 42 years and was the first Mormon to be president pro tem of the Senate, the young Hatch had not been involved in politics until becoming a candidate for his father's old seat.
State Rep. Phil Lyman rolled up 67% of the convention vote over incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox, who, despite a record that included an across-the-board tax cut and "conceal and carry" legislation, is considered an "establishment" Republican.
The convention endorsement notwithstanding, Cox is considered the favorite in a primary.
The primaries are sure to be a nationally-watched barometer of just how much clout Trump and his movement swing in Utah.
In 2016, an independent candidacy by journalist Evan McMullin drew 21% in Utah and helped keep Trump to 48% in one of the most solidly GOP states in the nation. Four years later, with no major third-party contenders, Trump carried the state with 58%.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.