Special Session with Bryan Schott

BYU sociology professor Dr. Jacob Rugh joins Bryan Schott to dig into the numbers behind Utah's political shift.
Rugh says Utah has swung further left since 2004 than almost any other state. He explains why MAGA has never fully taken over Utah's Republican Party the way it has nationally and what that means heading into the 2026 midterms.
The conversation covers the collapse of Phil Lyman's campaign, Stuart Adams' primary loss over data centers, shifting voter registration trends, the ongoing Prop 4 redistricting fight, and what declining LDS self-identification means for the state's political future.
Guest:Dr. Jacob Rugh, professor of sociology at Brigham Young University. Follow him on Bluesky: @JakeRugh.
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On this episode:
Sen. Mike Lee picks yet another fight with his own party over the SAVE Act
Stuart Adams lost his election, but the checks kept coming.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson with a subtweet for the ages
Burgess Owens says incumbents losing elections is putting Utah on the path toward socialism
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CD1 primary costs $6.1 million: Ben McAdams wins the Democratic nomination in a district that didn't exist a year ago, raising and spending more on his own than the other seven candidates combined. Outside groups poured in another $2.7 million—all of it backing McAdams.
Phil Lyman's mystery donor, again: A new super PAC that spent $300,000 attacking Rep. Celeste Maloy had a single donor—a company that also gave $550,000 to Lyman's 2024 governor's race, and appears to be tied to the Lyman family farm.
Davis County GOP's sloppy books: Our latest reporting on campaign finance violations by the Davis County Republican Party and why Utah's fines for breaking the law amount to a slap on the wrist.
Press pass lawsuit update: The Utah Legislature is asking the full 10th Circuit to rehear Bryan's First Amendment case after a three-judge panel ruled in his favor. Bryan also breaks down what the legislature's own court filing seems to reveal.
Spencer Cox and 2028: The New York Times lands Cox on its early presidential contenders list, and Bryan explains why he's not buying it.
Also on deck: Sen. Mike Lee's Olive Garden argument for the SAVE Act, Sen. Todd Weiler's new gig running the Sutherland Institute, and early jockeying for the 2027 Salt Lake City mayor's race.
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In this week's episode, host Bryan Schott discusses:
Bears Ears & Grand Staircase Escalante shrunk again President Trump signed an executive order this week drastically reducing both monuments—continuing the back-and-forth that's played out since Clinton (1996) and Obama (2016) created them, Trump shrank them in 2017, and Biden restored/expanded them in 2021. 
Trump's Thursday night address Multiple reports suggest the president will claim new evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 election and may declare Georgia Senators Warnock and Ossoff illegitimately elected as part of his ongoing efforts to sow doubts about the legitimacy of elections ahead of the midterms.
Legislature backs off ballot initiative power grab After previously signaling they'd push a constitutional amendment letting lawmakers repeal citizen ballot initiatives, legislative leaders reversed course after Senate President Stuart Adams lost his primary—a sign they're wary of further angering voters.
Save Act & Lindsey Graham's death Senator Mike Lee is renewing his push for the Save Act (which would require birth-certificate-or-passport proof of citizenship to vote and curtail mail-in voting) following Graham's unexpected death—though Lee still lacks the votes to pass the bill.
Trevor Lee investigation Representative Trevor Lee remains under Attorney General investigation over allegations he tried to leverage his legislative seat to help an employer land a federal cleanup grant tied to Hill Air Force Base, to pay off a $93,000 debt.
Henderson vs. DOJ Lt. Governor Diedre Henderson continues to publicly push back on the Department of Justice's demands for Utah's unredacted voter rolls, pointing out DOJ's 14 straight court losses on similar demands nationwide.
Jan. 6 subpoenas New Politico reporting reveals special counsel Jack Smith's investigation obtained text messages from 44 members of Congress, including Senator Mike Lee.
Also discussed: the Utah Debate Commission's 2026 debate schedule, Phil Lyman allies' signature-gathering conspiracy claims, CNBC ranking Utah among the 10 worst states to live in, and fallout from the Utah Fits All voucher program audit.
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A scathing state audit found the Utah Fits All Scholarship voucher program spent taxpayer money on Pelotons, gaming PCs, mirrorless cameras, trampolines and a $6,200 mountain bike, while auditors could only confidently trace about 19% of transactions.
Rep. John Arthur (D-Salt Lake City), a public school teacher, joins the show to break down the findings, explain why he believes the program itself is unconstitutional, and make the case for why the money should go back into public schools.
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In this episode of Special Session, Bryan Schott breaks down Senator Mike Lee's habit of posting bad-faith attacks every time the white nationalist group Patriot Front marches — and explains why the senator's rhetoric is designed for followers he holds in open contempt.
Plus: Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson pushes back against DOJ threats of criminal prosecution over Utah's refusal to hand over unredacted voter rolls, the primary election canvass is finalized, and Bryan takes on a local news theory linking Ben McAdams' primary win to the future of Utah's redistricting fight.
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Host Bryan Schott breaks down some huge news in Utah politics: his own First Amendment lawsuit against the Utah Legislature just got revived by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 
Plus, Kevin O'Leary walks back his CCP-funding claims against Alliance for a Better Utah; the fight to replace outgoing Senate President Stuart Adams heats up between Kirk Cullimore and Evan Vickers; Governor Spencer Cox's statewide fireworks ban amid historic drought and wildfires; a possible Alito retirement and the Mike Lee SCOTUS speculation.
__________Hit the subscribe button to stay up-to-date on the latest Utah political news.📰 For more Utah political coverage, go to UtahPolitics.newsSponsor the show. Email podcast@utahpolitics.news.Follow us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook ThreadsX/Twitter LinkedIn