Stop Pretending to Be a Republican

You’re Not Saving Utah, You’re Sabotaging It

Hey, you. Yes, you. The Utah Democrat (or leaning) who’s registered Republican because you think you’re making a difference in GOP primaries. We’re having a family meeting because it’s time to talk.

We see you at Republican conventions in your best cowboy boots, trying not to get sussed out. We’ve heard all the justifications: “harm mitigation,” “I want my vote to count,” “the real decisions happen in GOP primaries anyway.” The logic seems sound, Utah’s a red state, so why not register Republican and pick the least awful option?

We understand the impulse. It feels like the only way to be represented, the only way to make your voice heard. It’s strategic. It seems smart.

But we want to offer you a solution that will actually work instead of sacrificing your morals while helping the other side keep their power.

Because ultimately, registering Republican to get a “less bad” candidate is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. It might make you feel like you’re doing something, but the problem is way bigger than your solution.

The Myth of Strategic Voting

Let’s start with the most obvious reason: because it’s not working.

For years, we’ve heard this strategy from everyone. It seems like hundreds of thousands of Democrats must be doing it. So surely it’s making a difference, right? Let’s look at the track record.

Here are all the times we can think of that it kinda worked:

• Natalie Cline at Republican Convention in 2024: After Natalie doxxed a student online and was censured by the Utah Legislature, then 211 delegates at the Republican convention voted her out. You could say that was a win. Was it done by a mass movement of Democrats becoming Republican delegates? Maybe, but probably not.

• Spencer Cox vs. Phil Lyman: So Phil Lyman, famous Trump-pardoned far-right winger, beat Spencer Cox at convention. Cox got signatures and it went to a primary. Cox won by 54%. So sure, maybe that made the difference? But hey, you know how we feel about this. Cox isn’t exactly a hero. He endorsed Trump, passed a bathroom ban, pushed book bans, signed gerrymandered maps, we could go on and on and on. That’s your win?

• John Curtis: Both in his primary against Chris Herrod in 2018 for Congress and Trent Staggs for Senate, Curtis prevailed as the more moderate option. But since being elected, Curtis has not been the Mitt Romney-like figure we wished him to be, voting with the Trump administration on every controversial vote.

But Mostly, It Hasn’t:

• Jon Huntsman for Governor in 2020: Dems crossed over. Huntsman lost. Cox won. Now you all know how we feel about the radicalization of Spencer Cox.

• Becky Edwards vs. Mike Lee in 2022: She felt tailor-made for crossover support. Didn’t matter. She lost 30% to 62%.

  • And the same story with Becky Edwards vs. Celeste Maloy in 2023 for the Congressional seat.

Let’s stop pretending this strategy does anything more than dilute your values while propping up a system designed to exclude you.

How Good Intentions Create Bad Outcomes

We are going to preface the rest of this by saying that we are Democratic strategists. We run campaigns and try to elect more democrats in our state. So we have a very particular perspective here, and we’re not pretending to be neutral. But these aren’t just theoretical concerns, they’re real problems we deal with every single day trying to do our job.

You’re Inflating Their Numbers

Photo credit: AP News

Republicans point to their 900,000+ registered voters as proof they’re the dominant force in Utah. They of course never comment that a chunk of those “Republicans” are secret Democrats propping up their image. That doesn’t matter because they still get to count them when it matters.

We’re seeing this happen in real time with the current fight over redistricting. They are using the registration numbers as a defense that we don’t need a competitive congressional district. Every fake Republican is adding to their confidence.

Ok, if we convinced you after one single point, amazing. Here’s the link to easily switch your party registration.

You’re Making Our Job Harder

Campaigns rely on data to target and mobilize voters. If you’re registered Republican, you become much harder to target for Democratic campaigns, donors, and strategists. You’re creating a cycle where Democratic candidates can’t find their own voters.

And I am not talking about you getting phone calls, texts, and emails. Hate to break it to you – you are going to get those regardless. We’re talking about how Democrats have very limited resources and time. And it would be really helpful to know if you are an actual Republican vs. a strong Democrat. It changes our entire campaign strategy and how hardearned campaign dollars are spent.

And like, for real, we’ve already got a lot of work to do. Please just make our lives a tiny bit easier. It’s already really, really hard to elect Democrats here.

If this one convinced you: here’s that link that could make my life a little easier.

You’re Demoralizing Your Own Side

Here’s the one that hits deepest: Our two largest problems as Democrats in Utah are not actually the numbers. It’s apathy and defeatism. We are accepting defeat before we have even stepped onto the field.

Imagine a world where we feel just like a tiny sliver of hope? Like a tiny bit that change is possible?

When Democrats constantly bail on their own party to play in GOP races, it sends a message: We don’t believe in ourselves. That kills enthusiasm, turnout, and recruiting. Meanwhile, reasonable Democrats skip Democratic conventions to attend Republican ones, leaving delegate slots to be filled by folks who may not prioritize winning. Or, you bail on a competitive Democratic primary to vote for a less-terrible Republican and then who is determining the outcome of Democratic primaries?

We’ve created a vicious cycle: apathy and defeatism reduce turnout and registration, so Democrats lose, which creates more apathy and defeatism.

Let’s try to break that cycle instead of feeding it.

You can register back as a Democrat and join us as very happy, optimistic, inspired campers.

Imagine a Democratic Party That Fights Like Hell (And Wins)

Close your eyes. Picture a party that isn’t afraid to say what it believes. One that doesn’t cringe at every headline or run from the word “liberal.” A party that fights for working families, not the donor class. A party that actually represents you and your priorities because you help shape it. One punches up, not sideways.

We need Democrats to take ownership of their actual party. Not hide out in GOP primaries hoping to elect someone who’s slightly less awful than the alternative.

Because let’s be honest: even your “moderate” GOP heroes still march in lockstep with an administration or supermajority hell-bent on consolidating power. Spencer Cox endorsed Trump. John Curtis has yet to stand up to anyone. The moderates you’re propping up vote with their party nearly 99% of the time.

Be a Builder, Not a Bystander

Here’s what we need:

1. Change your registration to Democrat. Stop giving Republicans inflated numbers to brag about. Here’s the link again if you missed it the previous 50 times.

   • Once you have done that. We are going to need you to forward this email along to your groupchat. To the 5 friends who are in on this strategy with you. To the book club where you all whisper about your Republican convention shenanigans.

2. Show up to Democratic conventions and caucuses. We need to fill those delegate slots with people who actually want to win. We will be there and we will bring candy.

   • Listen, we will be the first to admit the Democratic party is not doing a great job all the time. But we aren’t going to fix that by playing on the other team or not showing up at all. We can make it way better and way more fun if we all just hung out together. And the candy.

   • Caucus night to become a Democratic delegate is scheduled for March 17th, 2026. That will be the opportunity to become a Democratic delegate. In the meantime, sometimes there are vacancies and you can apply to be a delegate here.

3. Support Democratic candidates and infrastructure. Donate to candidates, campaigns, etc. You can support the work we are doing in Utah by becoming a paid subscriber to our Substack.

4. Stop playing the GOP’s game. Start building something we own, we lead, and we believe in. We don’t have to moderate our way out of this, people are excited to be part of something that’s actually building toward change. Look at Zohran Mamdani’s success in New York: authentic progressive politics that energizes people instead of apologizing for existing.

5. Be loud about what you actually want. Utah is shifting, give people something to move toward, not just something to vote against.

Look, we know that one email won’t magically fix everything. But this is the question we get asked the most, by far. So when your friends bring this up (and they will), maybe forward this along. Let’s have a team meeting and at least start by getting on the same team.

Stop Pretending. Start Believing.

This isn’t just about a primary or one bad governor. It’s about believing Utah can be better, fairer, and more democratic.

Republicans don’t need your help being a mess—they’re doing just fine on their own. What they need is real opposition, not secret assistance.

Come back. Be a Democrat. Let’s build a party worth believing in.

Because pretending to be a Republican just to vote in a rigged game isn’t clever. It’s cowardly. It’s fueling everything we stand against. And you deserve better than that.

Utah’s population is growing fast. Young people lean left. The voters are shifting. The window for change is opening.

But only if we stop hiding and start building. Only if we stop playing their game and start winning our own.

The choice is yours. But make it as yourself, not as someone you’re pretending to be.

Now go change your registration and forward this to all of your friends who need to hear it too.