Special Session with Bryan Schott

Utah Political Watch
  • 5.0 (25)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Special Session with Bryan Schott rips the curtain back on Utah politics. No spin. No access journalism. No bootlicking. Just 25+ years of experience breaking down the stories that make elected officials squirm. From backroom deals at the Capitol to the power plays you're not supposed to know about, Bryan delivers fearless political coverage and interviews with newsmakers who actually matter. This is Utah politics without the PR polish. Independent. Unfiltered. Uncomfortable for all the right people.

  1. 45m ago

    Livesstream replay: The Great Data Center Backlash

    In this episode: New polling shows Donald Trump, Gov. Spencer Cox, Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis all underwater with Utah voters. We break down why the Deseret News's explanation for those falling numbers is wrong. An update on the ongoing First Amendment lawsuit against the Utah Legislature over press credentials. An analysis shows Utahns love vote-by-mail. Utah's looming Medicaid funding shortage. A Mike Lee fundraising email that quietly keeps 96% of donations. Utah lands at the bottom of the rankings for women's equality for the 12th straight year. The backlash against data centers goes viral with an outrageous ad from Jason Kelsey. (This is a recording of a livestream that aired on 8/19/2026)   📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

  2. 5d ago

    Should Democrats Drop Out in Red States to Win? — with G. Elliot Morris

    Bryan Schott sits down with G. Elliott Morris—former lead data editor at 538, now running the election-data newsletter Strength in Numbers and the forecasting site 50 Plus One—to dig into a trend reshaping red-state politics: Democrats stepping aside so an independent can take on the GOP one-on-one. They start with Morris's recent analysis of Montana's three-way Senate race, where independent Seth Bodnar is outpolling Democrat Alani Bankhead against Republican Kurt Alme—and only pulls ahead of the Republican once the Democrat exits the equation. Bryan draws the direct line to Utah's 2022 Senate race, when Democrats cleared the field for independent Evan McMullin against Mike Lee, and the two trace the same dynamic playing out in Nebraska with independent Dan Osborne. From there, the conversation widens into the numbers driving the 2026 midterms: Trump's state-by-state approval collapse (including in Utah), the "affordability problem" dragging down his presidency, and why Morris's forecast gives Democrats an 85% chance of retaking the House and a 55% chance of flipping the Senate—plus how mid-decade redistricting has already cost Democrats roughly six House seats. It's Utah Political Watch's 2nd birthday! To celebrate, get 20% off a full-year subscription through the end of August at https://utahpolitics.news/2ndbirthday 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

    Should Democrats Drop Out in Red States to Win? — with G. Elliot Morris

  3. Aug 12

    Mr. Wonderful Admits His Data Center Pitch Was Not, In Fact, Wonderful

    On this week's episode: The SAVE Act is dead (for now). Mike Lee's voter-ID bill couldn't get 50 votes, let alone the 60 needed to break a filibuster Kevin O'Leary's mea culpa. The investor tells MS Now his team botched the rollout of Utah's controversial Box Elder County data center, an issue that helped sink Senate President Stuart Adams' reelection campaign. Mendenhall on the Democratic Socialist debate. Salt Lake City's mayor says Democrats shouldn't let their agenda be purely reactive to Trump Mike Lee's fundraising math. A joint fundraising email soliciting money for four GOP Senate candidates routes most of the money straight back to Lee's own campaign. Utah Political Watch just turned two, powered entirely by readers and listeners. To celebrate, get 20% off a year-long subscription through the end of August: $44 instead of $55. Use code 2NDBIRTHDAY at utahpolitics.news. If you enjoy the show, subscribe and leave a review. It's the easiest way to help more people find it. 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

  4. Aug 5

    Mike Lee sees dead people

    On this episode: Sen. Mike Lee's SAVE America Act is stalled in the Senate, so he's recruiting dead people to try and resurrect the bill. He invoked Charlie Kirk on social media this week, just a few weeks after doing the same thing with Lindsey Graham. Federal Judge Robert Shelby rules Utah's gambling ban isn't preempted by federal commodities law, dealing the prediction-market Kalshi a major loss, with an appeal likely. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson highlights the Justice Department's 0-20 record suing states over voter rolls, plus the administration's renewed push to restrict vote-by-mail through USPS. Medicaid work requirements from last year's federal budget bill are set to take effect in 2027, with state officials estimating roughly 40,000 Utahns will lose coverage. Sen. John Curtis backs Todd Blanche for attorney general and takes heat from the right over his temporary-worker visa bill. Diarrhea lettuce and salmonella jalapeños. 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

    Mike Lee sees dead people

  5. Jul 31

    Utah's Blue Swing: Is the Beehive State Really Turning Purple?

    BYU sociology professor Dr. Jacob Rugh joins Bryan Schott to dig into the numbers behind Utah's political shift. Rugh says Utah has swung further left since 2004 than almost any other state. He explains why MAGA has never fully taken over Utah's Republican Party the way it has nationally and what that means heading into the 2026 midterms. The conversation covers the collapse of Phil Lyman's campaign, Stuart Adams' primary loss over data centers, shifting voter registration trends, the ongoing Prop 4 redistricting fight, and what declining LDS self-identification means for the state's political future. Guest: Dr. Jacob Rugh, professor of sociology at Brigham Young University. Follow him on Bluesky: @JakeRugh. 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

    Utah's Blue Swing: Is the Beehive State Really Turning Purple?

  6. Jul 29

    Is Utah sliding toward socialism?

    On this episode: Sen. Mike Lee picks yet another fight with his own party over the SAVE Act Stuart Adams lost his election, but the checks kept coming. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson with a subtweet for the ages Burgess Owens says incumbents losing elections is putting Utah on the path toward socialism 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

    Is Utah sliding toward socialism?

  7. Jul 22

    Stop Trying To Make Spencer Cox Happen

    CD1 primary costs $6.1 million: Ben McAdams wins the Democratic nomination in a district that didn't exist a year ago, raising and spending more on his own than the other seven candidates combined. Outside groups poured in another $2.7 million—all of it backing McAdams. Phil Lyman's mystery donor, again: A new super PAC that spent $300,000 attacking Rep. Celeste Maloy had a single donor—a company that also gave $550,000 to Lyman's 2024 governor's race, and appears to be tied to the Lyman family farm. Davis County GOP's sloppy books: Our latest reporting on campaign finance violations by the Davis County Republican Party and why Utah's fines for breaking the law amount to a slap on the wrist. Press pass lawsuit update: The Utah Legislature is asking the full 10th Circuit to rehear Bryan's First Amendment case after a three-judge panel ruled in his favor. Bryan also breaks down what the legislature's own court filing seems to reveal. Spencer Cox and 2028: The New York Times lands Cox on its early presidential contenders list, and Bryan explains why he's not buying it. Also on deck: Sen. Mike Lee's Olive Garden argument for the SAVE Act, Sen. Todd Weiler's new gig running the Sutherland Institute, and early jockeying for the 2027 Salt Lake City mayor's race. 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

    Stop Trying To Make Spencer Cox Happen

  8. Jul 15

    The monumental battle over Utah's public lands

    In this week's episode, host Bryan Schott discusses: Bears Ears & Grand Staircase Escalante shrunk again President Trump signed an executive order this week drastically reducing both monuments—continuing the back-and-forth that's played out since Clinton (1996) and Obama (2016) created them, Trump shrank them in 2017, and Biden restored/expanded them in 2021.  Trump's Thursday night address Multiple reports suggest the president will claim new evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 election and may declare Georgia Senators Warnock and Ossoff illegitimately elected as part of his ongoing efforts to sow doubts about the legitimacy of elections ahead of the midterms. Legislature backs off ballot initiative power grab After previously signaling they'd push a constitutional amendment letting lawmakers repeal citizen ballot initiatives, legislative leaders reversed course after Senate President Stuart Adams lost his primary—a sign they're wary of further angering voters. Save Act & Lindsey Graham's death Senator Mike Lee is renewing his push for the Save Act (which would require birth-certificate-or-passport proof of citizenship to vote and curtail mail-in voting) following Graham's unexpected death—though Lee still lacks the votes to pass the bill. Trevor Lee investigation Representative Trevor Lee remains under Attorney General investigation over allegations he tried to leverage his legislative seat to help an employer land a federal cleanup grant tied to Hill Air Force Base, to pay off a $93,000 debt. Henderson vs. DOJ Lt. Governor Diedre Henderson continues to publicly push back on the Department of Justice's demands for Utah's unredacted voter rolls, pointing out DOJ's 14 straight court losses on similar demands nationwide. Jan. 6 subpoenas New Politico reporting reveals special counsel Jack Smith's investigation obtained text messages from 44 members of Congress, including Senator Mike Lee. Also discussed: the Utah Debate Commission's 2026 debate schedule, Phil Lyman allies' signature-gathering conspiracy claims, CNBC ranking Utah among the 10 worst states to live in, and fallout from the Utah Fits All voucher program audit. 📰 Subscribe at UtahPolitics.news Sponsor the show: Got deep pockets and a masochistic love of Utah politics? Sponsor this podcast and support our coverage of this slow motion train wreck. Hit us up podcast@utahpolitics.news. Stalk us on social media: Bluesky TikTok Instagram Facebook Threads X/Twitter

    The monumental battle over Utah's public lands
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Special Session with Bryan Schott rips the curtain back on Utah politics. No spin. No access journalism. No bootlicking. Just 25+ years of experience breaking down the stories that make elected officials squirm. From backroom deals at the Capitol to the power plays you're not supposed to know about, Bryan delivers fearless political coverage and interviews with newsmakers who actually matter. This is Utah politics without the PR polish. Independent. Unfiltered. Uncomfortable for all the right people.

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  • Creator
    Utah Political Watch
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026, All Rights Reserved
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    Special Session with Bryan Schott