Salt Lake County GOP Removes Top Leaders over Election Fraud Claims

Seven top leaders of the Salt Lake County Republican Party have been removed from their executive committee positions after making what party chairman Mike Carey described as “false allegations of criminal election interference” against the organization.

The ousted members, several of whom have been vocal supporters of former Rep. Phil Lyman’s gubernatorial campaign and efforts to remove Gov. Spencer Cox from office, now face significant restrictions. All seven are prohibited from holding party offices for at least two years, while five members received the additional penalty of being barred from attending party events, except for caucus night, for four years.

“The Salt Lake County Republican Party thrives on healthy, spirited debate that advances our conservative values and unites us in purpose,” Carey explained in a detailed statement on social media. “However, fabricating baseless accusations of criminal activity by party leadership, only to then be weaponized as lawfare, crosses an unacceptable line.”

The conflict originated last year when the county party endorsed Cyndi Sharkey in Sandy’s nonpartisan mayoral race. According to Carey, a group led by Tracie Halvorsen claimed such endorsements violated state law, an interpretation Carey dismissed as “misguided.”

The dispute escalated dramatically when Halvorsen and seven others—Cathy Duke, Monica Wilbur, Debbie Gerrity, Kaye Sanderson, Natalie Cline, Laurel Fetzer, and Casey Gale—filed a criminal complaint with attorneys in Sandy, Riverton, and Herriman on September 5, 2025. The group reportedly forwarded copies to high-level federal officials including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI leadership.

Carey contends that Halvorsen further inflamed tensions by posting statements across social media platforms asserting the party had committed criminal election interference and sharing documents she had provided to authorities. These actions, according to Carey, damaged the party’s operations and reputation.

The disciplinary process culminated in a contentious executive committee meeting last Monday that stretched until nearly 3 a.m. All eight individuals were found to have engaged in conduct harmful to the party’s reputation.

Halvorsen, who is currently challenging state Sen. Dan McCay in this year’s elections, received the harshest punishment. She was censured, removed from her party position, and barred from holding office and attending events until May 2030. Despite these restrictions, she will retain access to party resources necessary for her Senate campaign and can attend the state nominating convention.

“Tracie Halvorsen has a documented history of making caustic and oftentimes reprehensible statements in public forums online, party group chats and in party state central committee meetings, and has repeatedly harassed and threatened to sue those who disagree with her,” Carey wrote.

Sanderson, Cline, Wilbur, and Gale received similar censures and event bans lasting until 2030. For Cline, this marks her second major disciplinary action in a public role. She was previously censured by the Utah Legislature during her tenure on the State School Board for “bullying” after publicly questioning a high school student’s gender.

Fetzer and Gerrity were censured and removed from county office until May 2028, while Duke received only a written reprimand.

The disciplined members and their supporters have vigorously contested these actions, characterizing them as retaliatory measures against legitimate criticism of party leadership.

“This effort by SLCo GOP Chair Mike Carey to purge myself and others from the Republican party for doing literally WHAT HE TOLD US TO DO & what the SLCo GOP bylaws encourage us to do is the most mental thing on the planet,” Wilbur posted on social media before the hearing.

Halvorsen similarly defended their actions: “People want the law followed! They want accountability! When 8 members held to that standard, we were retaliated against and unlawfully removed from our positions.”

The conflict highlights growing tensions within Utah’s Republican Party as it navigates internal divisions between establishment figures and those aligned with more insurgent conservative movements ahead of upcoming elections.