Two years after winning a special election for Cache County clerk, Bryson Behm is asking voters to send him back for his first full four-year term. He first took over the clerk’s office after his predecessor resigned following a state investigation into the county’s handling of the 2023 election.
Behm said he inherited a largely inexperienced elections staff and an office trying to rebuild after the controversy.
Since then, Behm has made that turnaround a central part of his case for another term. Last month, his office was recognized at the lieutenant governor’s inaugural Excellence in Elections Awards.
This November, Republican Behm is facing the same opponent who challenged him two years ago: David Gillie, who is running as the Constitution Party candidate.
According to his campaign biography, Gillie has taught intelligence, national security, foreign affairs, and American civics at government and military institutions and universities.
He also previously served on the national board of the Oath Keepers, a far-right anti-government militia.
Members of the Oath Keepers participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Documents submitted to the House committee investigating the attack list Gillie among the organization’s former board members. Several members and leaders were convicted of crimes related to the attack.
Gillie declined to participate in an interview after UPR said it would not provide his campaign with an unedited recording for unrestricted use, but he provided a written statement.
During his 2024 campaign, the retired Navy commander argued that his 30 years of military experience prepared him to learn the job despite having no previous experience administering elections.
Behm, on the other hand, said, “I think it’s pretty black-and-white who has the experience and who doesn’t. And, you know, I’m prepared to — whatever the law is — to follow it.”
Behm said one of his biggest priorities for another term would be preparing the county for changes to Utah election law. Beginning in 2029, voters will need to opt in to receive a ballot by mail — a change Behm expects will push more voters to the polls in person, requiring more equipment, careful budgeting, and a more streamlined voting process.
“I get really stressed out when I see lines," Behm said. “I really would like to make it like a Chick-fil-A drive-thru. Like, you come, you vote, you leave.”
The candidates have also differed over how secure Utah’s elections are.
In 2024, Gillie made election security a central issue and repeatedly criticized Utah’s vote-by-mail system, saying he wanted to encourage voters to opt out of receiving ballots by mail.
Behm said candidates, elected officials, and the public were invited to tour the Cache County ballot center during the 2024 election — and the invite still stands. But he said Gillie has never toured the facility, despite running for the office twice.
“It’s crazy to me," Behm said. "Like, you know, you have all these doubts … and then when we invite you over, you don’t come.”
He said public distrust in elections remains one of the challenges facing the clerk’s office. His approach, he said, has been to invite skeptical voters into the process — through open houses, ballot center tours, and direct outreach.
And as he asks voters for another four years, Behm points to his record of getting the clerk’s office back on track.
“I bring stability, I bring the experience, and that’s what voters need in the county clerk.”
