Utah Sen. Mike Lee has announced his endorsement of Derek Brown, a Republican candidate running for Utah Attorney General.
“Whether practicing law together over two decades ago, serving as my Deputy Chief of Staff, or leading the Utah Republican Party, Derek Brown has always been a passionate defender of the Constitution. He fought diligently for conservative principles and against federal overreach,” Lee said. “Derek’s skills and background make him uniquely qualified to serve in this vital role.”
“I’m thrilled to receive Sen. Lee’s endorsement. He joins a growing coalition of Republican leaders all across Utah who know me, have worked with me, and have endorsed me in this race,” Brown said. “Conservatives know that Senator Lee is the leading national voice in defending constitutional principles. I look forward to joining him in that fight while we also stand up to big tech, big pharma, and big government, as well as fight for Utah lands and energy.”
The former Republican Party chair, Brown is an attorney who has a law degree from Pepperdine School of Law and clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. He’s also served as chief legal counsel to former Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch. After Brown was elected to represent Sandy in the Utah House, he was appointed as Lee’s deputy chief of staff in 2013.
Former Gov. Gary Herbert has also endorsed Brown, as have several other Utah lawmakers and business leaders.
Brown faces off against three GOP opponents at the convention. There are nine total candidates candidates including Brown in the race.
The other candidates for this office are David Carlson (Democrat), W. Andrew McCullough (Libertarian), Frank Demcy Mylar (Republican), Rachel Terry (Republican), Michelle Quist (United Utah), Austin Hepworth (unaffiliated), Trent E. Christensen (Republican) and Rudy J. Bautista (Democrat).
Lee’s endorsement of Brown comes ahead of the upcoming Republican convention. On their declarations of candidacy, Mylar, Terry and Christensen indicated they were seeking the nomination via the convention process. Brown has chosen the option to seek the nomination both through the convention and the signature-gathering process.