DRAPER, Utah — A Utah woman who ran for local office in last year's primary election has announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate, hoping to replace the outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney in 2024.
Carolyn Phippen announced her Senate campaign Wednesday, branding herself as "a dedicated mother of five boys and a passionate advocate for conservative values."
Phippen ran for Utah House of Representatives District 46 in 2022. She ran against Jeff Stenquist in the Republican primary; she received more votes in the convention, but Stenquist won the primary by 4.8 percent and went on to win the seat.
According to her campaign website, Phippen is the executive director of Freedom Front of Utah, which she said "protect[s] individual liberties and the free market." The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Phippen was also a staffer for Sen. Mike Lee.
In her campaign announcement, Phippen touts her "strong commitment to her community and a deep-rooted belief in limited government and individual liberties" and hopes to bring "a fresh perspective" to the office if elected.
“I’m not a career politician. I’m a mom who knows what it takes to raise a family in Utah. For too long, D.C. politicians have prioritized their own interests while their reckless spending has sent our economy spiraling," she said. "I believe that our nation’s best days lie ahead, but we must elect leaders who not only understand the real challenges we face, but who will do the hard work to restore the principles that have made this nation prosper.”
Some areas of focus in Phippen's campaign announcement included fighting inflation, shrinking the national debt, securing the U.S.-Mexico border, and "ensuring our military has the tools they need to do their job."
Phippen joins five other Republicans in the race to replace Romney, who announced that he will not seek re-election. The others running are Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson (who will resign later this month), Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, Roosevelt Mayor Rod Bird, podcaster Ty Jensen, and state employee Josh Randall.
