Senator claims running mate Phil Lyman is not “eligible” to serve

Salt Lake City, Utah – One day following the state GOP convention, where Phil Lyman handily defeated Gov. Spencer Cox, a Utah Republican lawmaker declared that Lyman’s running partner “isn’t constitutionally eligible to serve.”

A portion of the Utah Constitution that states that one must be “a resident citizen of the state for five years next preceding the election” is one of the requirements for lieutenant governor, according to Sen. Todd Weiler, a Republican from Davis County.

Lawyer Weiler said that Lyman’s running mate, Layne Bangerter, was still a resident of Idaho in 2021. Weiler also related an account from 2020 in which Bangerter attended the Republican National Convention as an Idaho delegate and was referred to by the reporter as “an Idaho farmer.”

“I think it’s important for the public to know,” Weiler told 2News. “Probably 95% of the adults in Utah qualify to serve as lieutenant governor according to our constitution. But this particular individual doesn’t.”

“He’s free to make that assertion and let him make it,” Lyman said in response. “I believe [Weiler] is wrong, and Layne Bangerter has been a citizen of Utah for 30 years.”

The governor-nominee for the convention questioned Weiler’s strategy for bringing up the issues.

“If Todd Weiler, an attorney, wants to make that assertion, he should consider doing it on a platform other than Twitter,” Lyman said.

“Calling on Phil Lyman to follow the Utah Constitution and name a running mate who is qualified to serve,” Weiler stated in a post on Sunday night.
The state senator appeared to be a fervent advocate for Gov. Cox during his reelection campaign.

“My governor, Spencer Cox, continues to be smart, witty and overall awesome,” wrote Weiler over the weekend during the Republican convention, “despite facing a mocking crowd filled with angry and rude people.”

To applause and jeers, the governor spoke to the delegates.

Lyman prevailed with 68% of the delegate vote to Cox’s 32%. The primary election in June will pit them against each other.