By McKenzie Romero | Editor
For eight years he has been one of the most powerful state leaders in Utah. After losing his primary election, Senate President Stuart Adams will be out of a job at the end of the year.
How did Adams find himself in this spot? What do legislators on both sides of the aisle think about his ouster? And what happens next?
In today’s Dispatch we break down the end of the Adams era, a fallen soldier’s connection to Utah, and the latest on home prices across the state.
“I’ve made plenty of mistakes … but that’s what we do in the Legislature. Every year we fine-tune corrections and we keep making sure that we make the best decisions we can as we gain more information. So I’m not going to go back and second-guess mistakes.” — Outgoing Senate President Stuart Adams on whether he has any regrets.
Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, oversees work in the Senate Chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the final night of the legislative session, Friday, March 6, 2026. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Katie McKellar
Senate President Stuart Adams’ primary election loss has sent shockwaves through Utah’s Capitol Hill, stirring some uncertainty of what could come next for the state’s upper chamber, how the Senate’s next leader will operate, and what that could mean for not just the Senate but the GOP-controlled Legislature as a whole.
As senators look ahead to the looming change of leadership, they’re also reflecting on Adams’ lengthy term as president. He has bipartisan respect, especially among current members of minority and majority leadership who applauded him as a collaborator who was willing to allow Democrats a voice. But he also had some critics among lawmakers, especially those who felt they didn’t “toe the line.”
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, a soldier killed in action in Jordan was identified to be a Southern Utah University student. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army)
By Alixel Cabrera
A soldier killed in action in Jordan was identified to be a Southern Utah University student, the school confirmed. 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan of Ewa Beach, Hawaii died on July 18 while supporting military operations overseas.
Feehan was 25 years old and an MBA student at SUU just weeks away from completing the program. He will receive his degree posthumously in recognition of his academic achievement. He will also receive the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and be posthumously promoted to captain, according to the U.S. Army.
A home for sale in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, July 22, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Katie McKellar
Home prices in Utah’s most populated county have hit a new record high. But it’s a different story in other counties along the Wasatch Front. The median price of a single-family home in Salt Lake County climbed to $645,000 in the second quarter of 2026 — the highest quarterly median price on record.
That’s even though new home listings of all types increased in Salt Lake County by 3.56% year over year, which provided buyers with more choices. However, homes also took longer to sell, the Salt Lake Board of Realtors said, with an average cumulative days on market increasing from 45 to 48 days.
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