Politics
Sen. Curtis calls for GOP 'to return to roots' after midterm losses
Utah Senator John Curtis, a Republican and Latter-day Saint, said the GOP's poor midterm performance is "a wake-up call" and urged the party to return to its roots, according to ABC4 Utah. Curtis made the comments as Democrats won control of the House and flipped multiple Senate seats and governor's offices nationwide.
November 4, 2026 at 12:03 AM MT · via ABC4 Utah
Rep. Celeste Maloy projected to win reelection in Utah's 3rd District
Republican Celeste Maloy is projected to win reelection to Utah's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Kent Udell. The Salt Lake Tribune called the race for Maloy, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who has represented the district since a 2023 special election.
November 3, 2026 at 11:03 PM MT · via The Salt Lake Tribune · 2 sources
Democrats seek to gain ground in Utah Legislature on election day
Democrats are hoping to expand their presence in the Utah Legislature, where Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers. The Salt Lake Tribune reports several competitive races could shift the balance, though the heavily conservative and predominantly Latter-day Saint electorate makes significant gains unlikely.
November 3, 2026 at 11:03 PM MT · via The Salt Lake Tribune · 3 sources
Interfaith 'poll chaplains' view voting as spiritual task
Deseret News reports on interfaith "poll chaplains" who will be present at voting locations in nine states, viewing their role as a spiritual calling. The chaplains aim to protect all voters and ensure a peaceful election process.
November 3, 2026 at 9:02 AM MT · via Deseret News
Blog examines LDS Church's political-involvement patterns over 50 years
Times and Seasons published a systematic analysis of the Church's political involvement over the past five decades, responding to recurring questions about when and why the Church takes public positions on legislation and ballot measures.
November 3, 2026 at 2:35 AM MT · via Times and Seasons
Utah redistricting controversy resurfaces ahead of midterm elections
Utah's 2025 redistricting process is drawing renewed attention as midterm elections approach. The state legislature's rejection of an independent redistricting commission's map in favor of its own partisan plan sparked lawsuits and accusations of gerrymandering.
November 2, 2026 at 2:36 AM MT · via The Daily Utah Chronicle
Dialogue examines abortion restrictions vs. LDS Church's own exceptions
Dialogue Journal published an essay examining what happens when the LDS Church supports abortion restrictions that go beyond the exceptions recognized in its own handbook, which allows for abortion in cases of rape, incest, threats to the mother's life or health, and fatal fetal diagnoses. The piece draws on Mormon history to explore how Latter-day Saints have understood pregnancy, abortion, and moral agency.
October 31, 2026 at 6:03 PM MT · via Dialogue · 2 sources
Bishops' prayer over Trump raises hard questions about institutional neutrality
A Catholic bishops' prayer over Donald Trump has sparked debate about the proper relationship between religious institutions and political figures. The incident raises uncomfortable questions about institutional neutrality and the appearance of partisanship—issues that resonate across American religious communities, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has faced similar scrutiny over its political positioning.
October 28, 2026 at 8:01 AM MT · via Deseret News
LDS Church opposes abortion ballot measures in Idaho and Nevada despite nuanced stance
The LDS Church is actively campaigning against abortion ballot measures in Idaho and Nevada in the 2026 midterms, despite maintaining what researchers describe as a comparatively permissive abortion policy for a conservative faith. The apparent contradiction reflects the Church's nuanced position: it opposes most abortion but permits exceptions for rape, incest, and maternal health.
October 28, 2026 at 3:08 AM MT · via KUER · 6 sources
Political journalist examines Mormon shift toward MAGA movement
Reporter Sarah McCammon, who covered Evangelical political realignment, traces a parallel shift within the Latter-day Saint community toward MAGA politics. Drawing on years of political reporting and her own experience leaving Evangelicalism, McCammon explores how Latter-day Saints followed a similar trajectory of initially resisting then embracing Donald Trump. The essay appears in Sunstone and examines institutional and cultural factors driving the movement.
October 26, 2026 at 12:01 AM MT · via Sunstone · 2 sources
Idaho OB-GYN says Prop 1 abortion restrictions are 'unsustainable' for competent care
An LDS obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in Idaho has broken ranks to argue that the state's current abortion restrictions prevent competent medical care—and that Prop 1, which would liberalize them, would make her job sustainable. Her testimony challenges the Church's formal opposition to the ballot measure and illustrates the tension between institutional doctrine and clinical reality in a heavily Mormon state.
October 23, 2026 at 6:01 AM MT · via The Salt Lake Tribune
Arizona governor race splits between LDS Church-aligned and independent candidates
A split is emerging in the 2026 Arizona governor race along lines of the Church's political involvement, with the race shaping up as a test of how heavily Latter-day Saint institutional weight affects electoral outcomes in a state with a significant Mormon population but more religious diversity than Utah or Idaho. The reporting in the Deseret News frames this as a key subplot of the race, capturing a moment when the Church's traditional political unity is fragmenting across different LDS constituencies.
October 23, 2026 at 2:01 AM MT · via Deseret News