Trump crushes Utah man he pardoned in wild West showdown

By NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT Published: 03:44, 24 June 2026 | Updated: 03:57, 24 June 2026 In Utah's largest Congressional district Republican primary, both candidates supported President Donald Trump, while one received his endorsement and the other a pardon.  The two candidates also, remarkably, had ties to famed anti-government Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy.  Turns out, Trump's endorsement - and incumbency - was much stronger.  Republican Representative Celeste Maloy easily beat challenger, former state House Representative Phil Lyman, to represent Utah's 3rd Congressional district, a backward L-shaped piece of land that stretches the entire eastern and southern lengths of the state.  Her win is basically a ticket to Congress with the state's ultra-conservative leanings.  The race was called for Maloy by the Associated Press at 10:35 pm ET, as she was leading by nearly 40 points.  Maloy had already defeated Lyman during Utah's Republican nominating convention, though the former state lawmaker received enough support to force a primary. On Wednesday, Trump chimed in on the race, endorsing Maloy alongside two other incumbents, touting her 'strong Record of Success, and resounding support from her Community.'  But Lyman had his own kind of Trump support - a signed pardon.  Representative Celeste Maloy won her Republican primary Tuesday night to represent Utah's 3rd Congressional District  Lyman was pardoned by the President during his first term after being sentenced to 10 days in jail and three years of probation after illegally riding his ATV through Utah’s Recapture Canyon.  The Congressional hopeful had organized a protest in 2014 against the Bureau of Land Management, which had banned motorized vehicles from the federally owned land in 2007.  At the time, he was serving as a county commissioner for San Juan County.   Lyman's protest occurred on the heels of Bundy's armed standoff with the BLM after his cows were caught grazing on federal property.  Bundy's standoff set off a wave of anti-government protests across the West, including in Utah.  During Lyman's demonstration, he was joined by Bundy's son Ryan, and they drove quads through the canyon where archaeological sites are located, according to Mother Jones.  The brazen move earned Lyman all sorts of political support from the state's Republicans, who aimed to pay his legal fees.  Lyman had been ordered to pay nearly $96,000 in restitution.  Congressional candidate Phil Lyman (left), a former state House member and Representative Celeste Maloy (right), face off on the debate stage in Salt Lake City, Utah earlier this month  Phil Lyman is photographed illegally driving his ATV in Utah's Recapture Canyon as part of a 2014 protest of the Bureau of Land Management, a move that later got him a pardon from President Donald Trump  Should a politician’s personal history or a powerful endorsement matter more in earning your vote? What's your view?In 2018, Lyman mounted a successful campaign to win a seat in the Utah state House, where he served until 2024.  The Trump pardon came in 2020, thanks to a lobbying effort from Senator Mike Lee and former Representative Chaffetz. Lyman unsuccessfully tried to challenge Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox in 2024, before turning his attention to the Congressional seat.  As for Maloy, her uncle by marriage is Bundy.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.