JON HUNTSMAN JR.

FILE - In this April 4, 2020, file photo, is The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. The federal lawsuit, filed Monday, March 22, 2021, asserts that the church spent members donations that were solicited for charity on commercial purposes. The federal lawsuit, filed Monday, asserts that the church spent members’ donations that were solicited for charity on commercial purposes. Ad“This is not a case about faith; it is a case about fraud and corporate greed,” the lawsuit said. The practice, which is used in other faith groups, isn’t required for church members but is strongly encouraged.

Utah Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. The competitive four-way contest was conducted entirely by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, which also shaped the campaign. But his comeback attempt fell short in a GOP primary as he contended with a crushing pandemic and a fresh-faced opponent. A very early start to his campaign also proved fortuitous in hindsight, allowing Cox, 44, to clock months visiting voters before the coronavirus hit. The Huntsman campaign answered those challenges in part by encouraging people to register as Republicans so they could vote in the closed primary.

The state's June 30 primary will decide the Republican nominee for the first open governors race in more than a decade. Some high-profile Utah Democrats have encouraged voters to register as Republicans to vote in the primary, which is closed to non-members. Hard-right candidate Greg Hughes, a vocal Trump supporter, has railed against the party switching, saying Democrats are joining the party to blunt his recent rise in polling. We wont allow anybody to wait any longer to make that change.For party officials, the Democrat influence on the Republican primary is frustrating. I think it shows a lack of integrity, said Utah Republican Party Chair Derek Brown.

Jon Huntsman, Jr., speaks during the Utah Gubernatorial Republican Primary Debate in Salt Lake City. Huntsman Jr. has one of the most recognizable names in the state as a former popular governor and son of a billionaire philanthropist. (Ivy Ceballo/Deseret News, via AP, Pool)SALT LAKE CITY Republican Utah gubernatorial candidate and former ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. said Wednesday he has tested positive for COVID-19. Huntsman previously served as Utah governor until 2009, when he left to be the U.S. ambassador to China under then-president Barack Obama. Jon Huntsman Sr. was a billionaire industrialist and philanthropist.

Jon Huntsman, Jr., speaks during the Utah Gubernatorial Republican Primary Debate in Salt Lake City. He stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Russia under Donald Trump to return to Utah and make a run and reclaiming his seat. Now, it's showcasing conservative fault lines over the coronavirus crisis response and what recovery looks like. Hes still deciding between Huntsman and Cox, but has so far been impressed with the states handling of the coronavirus crisis. You keep hearing over and over that Utah wasn't locked down, Utah is doing so great, he said.

This Nov. 14, 2019 photo released by ABC shows co-host Abby Huntsman on "The View." Huntsman said Monday, Jan. 13, 2020, she's leaving to help run her father's campaign for governor of Utah and spend more time with her family. (Heidi Gutman/ABC via AP)NEW YORK, NY – Abby Huntsman, a panelist on ABC's daytime talk show “The View,” said Monday she's leaving to help run her father's campaign for governor of Utah and spend more time with her family. Jon Huntsman announced in November that he would be seeking a third term as Utah governor, although he hasn't done that job for a decade. “I told my dad, if ‘The View’ taught me anything, it taught me how to fight,” Huntsman said.

During an appearance in southern Utah, Huntsman responded to speculation about his unusual political pivot by saying he would serve out a full term rather than leave if offered another national job. After two years, Huntsman left Russia amid heavy speculation about a potential gubernatorial run. Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler said Huntsman is going to have to convince voters that Utah isn’t an “overlooked girlfriend” or a platform between more high-profile roles. Herbert has served as governor since Huntsman left for China but is not running again in 2020. Other Republicans who have already declared include Utah County businessman Jeff Burningham and Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton.

TOP STORIESIn El Paso, a Pastors Faith EnduresPastor Michael Grady had never prayed so fervently as when he got the call Saturday telling him that his 33-year-old daughter, Michelle, was lying in a pool of blood. When he saw his daughter, it was bad: I know she wasnt OK, but I told her she was going to be OK. This is one story of faith in the aftermath of the deadly El Paso shooting. Returning to CourtCan California force President Trump to release his tax returns before he can get on the primary ballot? -- Trump is heading to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso today in the shootings aftermath. -- The Oakland Raiders, the closest thing the NFL has to an institutional antihero, are being featured in the latest season of the HBO show Hard Knocks.OPINION-- As the El Paso massacre showed once again, white supremacy is the poison in our well.