Fox 13 | October 24, 2026 | Ben Winslow

Fox 13's Ben Winslow reached out for comment in response to recent news that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) will be sending election monitors to Utah for the 2026 cycle. For context, this announcement follows months of conflict between Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson and the Trump administration over her refusal to turn over Utah voters’ private information, citing protections under state and federal law. The DOJ has sued Utah for the records and informed Henderson that she is under investigation, escalating a dispute over voter privacy into a confrontation with the state’s chief election officer.

Link here: https://www.fox13now.com/news/politics/utah-political-parties-weigh-in-on-doj-election-monitoring

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Below is the full, extended quote provided by Chair Michelle Quist in response. Only part of this quote was included in the reporting (this is common practice):

The Forward Party applauds Lieutenant Governor Henderson and stands with her in protecting Utah’s voters. As she has said, transparency and election monitoring are welcome. Utah runs its elections well. Let’s show the country that mail-in voting isn’t the bogeyman certain political figures make it out to be.

But President Trump and the national Republican Party have given Utahns ample reason to question their intentions when it comes to elections. If this is election interference dressed up as oversight, we will oppose it. If it is political retaliation against a Republican official for refusing to fall in line, we will oppose that, too. Neither motive would surprise us. Our democracy is in serious trouble when protecting voters can put an election official at odds with her own party. A two-party system that rewards loyalty over principle invites exactly this kind of pressure.

Lieutenant Governor Henderson deserves all our support for putting Utah voters first. We’re lucky to have her.