This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Like all elections, Tuesday's primary was not just a contest of candidates. It was a barometer for the mood of the state on a host of issues, and particularly on the question of whether the federal government should transfer national public lands to the state.

The results on that score were clear: Candidates staking out the most extreme position on public lands lost handily in high profile races on the Utah ballot yesterday, a sign the issue is becoming a political liability.

Notably, gubernatorial candidate Overstock.com founder Jonathan Johnson not only made the plan to seize public lands a centerpiece of his campaign, he aggressively attacked his incumbent opponent for not taking more aggressive action on the issue, hammering on the need for a lawsuit against the federal government. His reward was a defeat by 44 percent of the vote.

As members of the Bundy family — key figures in the land transfer movement — prepare to stand trial for their attempt to launch a violent takeover of a federal wildlife reserve, the mood of Western voters is clearly souring on this issue. A recent poll commissioned by the Western Values Project found that 61 percent of Utah voters oppose a lawsuit to transfer federal public lands due to its costs and potential impacts to access for hunting and fishing.

That's a message Utah voters have delivered loud and clear. Now it's time for the candidates who emerged from yesterday's contests to start listening.

Chris Saeger

Executive director, Western Values Project