PROVO, Utah (AP) - The Latest on Utah conventions to winnow the field of candidates running to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (all times local):
4 p.m.
Utah Democrats have nominated physician Kathie Allen as their candidate in the election to replace Republican Jason Chaffetz in the U.S. House.
Delegates to the Democratic convention at Weber State University chose Allen over two other candidates on Saturday.
Unlike the eventual Republican nominee, Allen will not have to compete in a primary election in August because no other Democratic candidates gathered voter signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Delegates to the Republican convention nominated former state legislator Chris Herrod for the GOP primary. He will face Provo Mayor John Curtis and Tanner Ainge.
Democratic delegates are also choosing a new party chairman after a bitter campaign that led to one candidate to drop out amid allegations of sexual harassment.
Eight other candidates are vying to replace current chairman Peter Corroon.
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2:55 p.m.
Former Utah lawmaker Chris Herrod has won the vote of about 800 state Republican delegates in a race to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz in Congress, advancing to an August primary election.
Herrod won the delegate vote at a Saturday convention after defeating state Sen. Deidre Henderson and nine other GOP candidates in five rounds of voting.
Herrod, a home loan officer in Provo, served in Utah’s Legislature for five years beginning in 2007, unsuccessfully challenged Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2012 and worked on Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign last year.
He will face Provo Mayor John Curtis and Tanner Ainge, a son of Boston Celtics general Danny Ainge, who both gathered voter signatures in order to compete in an August 15 primary election to determine the Republican nominee.
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11:20 a.m.
A special convention of about 1,000 Utah Republicans has kicked off as the group of GOP delegates winnows a field of 12 candidates running to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
The Utah GOP running Saturday’s convention in Provo is struggling under roughly $500,000 in debt and resorted to a low-cost voting method, asking delegates to cast votes on their cellphones by logging into a website with a special code.
Delegates struggled to log in to the website and spent about an hour trying to test the system and complaining about the process.
The candidates started giving speeches after delegates completed a test vote.
Eleven GOP candidates are competing in Saturday’s convention. The winner of Saturday’s delegate vote will compete in an August primary against one or two Republican candidates who gathered voter signatures.
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1:25 a.m.
About 1,000 Utah Republicans are gathering for a convention Saturday to cut down a field 12 candidates vying to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz and advance one candidate to an August primary election.
Chaffetz announced earlier this year he’s resigning at the end of June, leaving an enticing open seat for Republicans in what’s considered one of the most conservative congressional districts in the country.
The candidates in the packed GOP field, including three state lawmakers, a mayor and several lawyers and political activists, have touted their conservative credentials.
Eleven of the candidates in the GOP race will compete in Saturday’s convention. The winner of Saturday’s delegate vote will compete in an August primary against one or two Republican candidates who gathered voter signatures.
Utah Democrats on Saturday will narrow their field of three candidates to one.
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