PODCAST · news
Special Session with Bryan Schott
by Utah Political Watch
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.
Episodes
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Maloy Plays Not to Lose, Udell Misses His Shots: CD3 Debate Watch Party
Rep. Celeste Maloy and Democrat Kent Udell met at Utah Tech University in St. George for the only televised debate in Utah's new 3rd Congressional District, and Bryan Schott watched along live with commentary, fact-checks and viewer reactions. The verdict? Boring. Maloy, the incumbent, only…
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CD1 Debate: Two Moderates Walk Into a Gerrymander
Utah finally has a competitive congressional race, and Tuesday night the two candidates met on the debate stage. Democrat Ben McAdams and Republican Riley Owen faced off at Salt Lake Community College in the Utah Debate Commission's 1st Congressional District debate. It was the first debate for…
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Utah's Map is Built to Absorb a Democratic Wave Election
In this episode: New Utah polling from Noble Predictive Insights Is a Democratic wave brewing ahead of November? How would a blue wave election impact Utah's legislative elections? Sen. John Curtis asks the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Donald Trump Jr.'s ties to a Russian oligarch...
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Piano Bars to Protest Songs: Drew Ballard's Musical Activism
Drew Ballard is a classically trained pianist with a 6,500-song repertoire who spent over a decade performing in piano bars and has recently turned that same instinct for what makes a crowd sing along toward political parody. Known online as Druby.tunes, Drew produces biting takes on well-known...
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The $20 Million Race Car Nobody Told You About
On this episode: Exclusive investigation: The Mormon Meteor 3. The state paid $20 million for the historic race car now displayed at the new Museum of Utah—$10 million from taxpayers, obtained via open records request. Gov. Spencer Cox's new book, Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of...
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Charlie Kirk's Legacy: One Year Later
One year after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, host Bryan Schott sits down with journalist Jared Holt to unpack the battle over Kirk's legacy — and how it's been playing out very differently depending on who's telling the story. On one side: a sanitized, martyr-like...
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Disagree Better, Except About Insurrections
On this episode of "Special Session": 📊 Utah House & Senate Race Ratings Updated 🗳️ Senate District 11 Becomes a Head-to-Head Race 📬 USPS Whistleblower Report on Mail-In Ballots 📖 Spencer Cox's New Book, Off-Ramp ⚖️ Two More Appointments to the Utah Supreme Court __________ Hit the subscribe...
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Tina Cannon is Not Backing Down
On this episode of Special Session: Outgoing Senate President Stuart Adams threatens legal action against four critics, including State Auditor Tina Cannon. Her lawyer fires back with one of the sharpest legal smackdowns of the year. Breaking down an absolutely chaotic seven-hour meeting of the...
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Rep. John Arthur on the Utah Fits All Voucher Audit
A scathing state audit found the Utah Fits All Scholarship voucher program spent taxpayer money on Pelotons, gaming PCs, mirrorless cameras, trampolines and a $6,200 mountain bike, while auditors could only confidently trace about 19% of transactions. Rep. John Arthur (D-Salt Lake City), a public...
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Mike Lee thinks you're stupid
In this episode of Special Session, Bryan Schott breaks down Senator Mike Lee's habit of posting bad-faith attacks every time the white nationalist group Patriot Front marches — and explains why the senator's rhetoric is designed for followers he holds in open contempt. Plus: Lieutenant Governor...
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A good day for journalism and Mike Lee really, really wants that Supreme Court robe
Host Bryan Schott breaks down some huge news in Utah politics: his own First Amendment lawsuit against the Utah Legislature just got revived by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Plus, Kevin O'Leary walks back his CCP-funding claims against Alliance for a Better Utah; the fight to replace…
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155 votes vs. 21,000: How Stuart Adams was defeated by democracy
Stuart Adams just became the first sitting Utah Senate President to lose a primary since 2002, and the shockwaves are still reverberating across Capitol Hill. The man who ran the Utah Senate like a personal kingdom got sent home by the very voters he forgot to listen to, and Ben McAdams, the…
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Five Days to Utah's Primary Election and Everyone's Losing It
With Utah's June 23 primary just days away, Bryan Schott breaks down the biggest storylines: ICE detention warehouse update: New NYT reporting says DHS is looking to offload the SLC warehouse it overpaid for. Trump endorses Moore, Malloy, Kennedy: Predictable picks spark a meltdown among Phil…
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Two weeks out: Outside money is flooding Utah’s primaries, and that’s not even the most alarming thing
With just two weeks to go until Utah's June 23 primary elections, Bryan Schott breaks down the $2.8 million in outside spending flooding Utah's congressional races, flags which incumbents are actually in danger, and explains the alarming background of Utah County's newly appointed deputy…
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Ben McAdams makes his case
Utah 1st Congressional District Democratic candidate Ben McAdams joins Utah Political Watch for a wide-ranging interview ahead of the June 23 primary election. McAdams, a former state senator, Salt Lake County Mayor, and one-term congressman, makes his case for why his track record on delivering...
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Stuart Adams is Panicking
Ballots hit Utah mailboxes this week, and Senate President Stuart Adams immediately sent a letter demanding Kevin O'Leary shrink the controversial Stratos data center project by 75%, the same project Adams approved as MIDA chairman. We break down why that's a panic move, not a policy move, and…
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CD1 Candidate Michael Farrell: Ban Data Centers, Tax the Rich, and Don’t Run on Vibes
Michael Farrell, a Salt Lake City tax attorney and progressive Democrat running in Utah's newly redrawn 1st Congressional District, joins the show to make his case for why he's the right candidate in a crowded Democratic primary. Farrell discusses his personal motivation for running — his…
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Nate Blouin is not playing it safe
Utah State Senator Nate Blouin sits down with Utah Political Watch to make his case for the Democratic nomination in Utah's 1st Congressional District. In a wide-ranging conversation, Blouin explains his "top vs. bottom" theory of the race, his pledge to drop out if a campaign-commissioned poll...
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McAdams survives Utah’s CD1 Democratic debate — but the race isn’t over
Bryan breaks down Wednesday night's first and only televised debate in Utah's new First Congressional District Democratic primary. Four candidates, one stage, and one frontrunner who just needed to walk out standing. He did. __________ Hit the subscribe button to stay up-to-date on the latest…
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CD1 debate preview, the data center backlash and why Utah’s televised debates are broken
The four Democrats running for Utah's 1st Congressional District take the stage Wednesday night for the only televised debate of the primary, and Bryan has thoughts, mostly skeptical ones, about the format. He breaks down the dynamics and strategy: why Nate Blouin, Liban Mohamed and Michael…
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Liban Mohamed is not here for the status quo
Bryan Schott sits down with Liban Mohamed, a 27-year-old running in the Democratic primary for Utah's new 1st Congressional District. Mohamed made waves at the Utah Democratic state convention, winning 51% of the vote to secure the top spot on the primary ballot—defeating former Congressman Ben...
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We know a trial balloon when we see one!
In this episode: John Curtis for governor? Host Bryan Schott digs into the Politico report that U.S. Sen. John Curtis is exploring a run for governor in 2028. Curtis has name ID, money, and nothing to lose (he doesn't have to give up his Senate seat to run). Bryan sizes up the emerging field,...
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The five largest donations in the history of Stuart Adams’ PAC
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams is under fire for some questionable donations to his political action committee, and he's not answering a single question about it. This week Utah Political Watch reported five individuals and companies with deep financial ties to MIDA (the Military Installation...
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Trevor Lee and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week
Rep. Trevor Lee had a very, very bad week. He lost the Davis County GOP convention vote to Bob Stevenson. That came a few days after a website dropped with serious fraud allegations from two former employers. One features a signed confession of check fraud. The other involves explosive claims…
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Doxxing voters for the low price of $1,050
In this episode: a last-minute U.S.-Iran ceasefire the beginning of convention season Utah's looming voter privacy rollback Sen. Mike Lee's rumored AG buzz and the subscriber-exclusive debut of the Utah Political Watch Race Ratings system. 📰 Support journalist-owned, journalist-operated...
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The most uninspiring dorks on the planet
Another busy week in Utah politics: Breaking down a new poll in CD1 Candidates are facing signature-gathering deadlines Prop. 4 failed to qualify for the ballot—what happens next? The map that could end Celeste Maloy's career SCOTUS rules against Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, but experts...
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Livestream replay: Avoiding an aggressive ass paddling at the polls
In this replay of a livestream recorded on March 24, 2026, we cover a lot of political news: Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall's creative legal gambit to potentially block a proposed ICE detention facility using water conservation rules; the razor-thin status of the Prop 4 repeal signature...
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Navigating the Final Week of the 2026 Utah Legislature
This episode is from the March 2, 2026 livestream: The Utah legislature is in its final week, with significant discussions on the state budget and tax cuts. Proposition 4 has qualified for the ballot, but signature removal efforts are ongoing and contentious. Legislative shenanigans are evident…
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They need to get the math turned around real fast
In this recording of our livestream from Jan. 26, 2026, we break down the numbers on Utah's Prop 4 repeal effort—and they're not looking good for signature gatherers. With just 20 days left and barely 40% of their statewide goal met, even Trump's endorsement might not be enough to save the...
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The ”blanket fort situation room”
On this episode of Special Session: The most competitive legislative races in the 2026 midterms. Senate President Stuart Adams is in the political fight of his life. Redistricting court battle update. Will Utah's members of Congress push back on Trump's military action in Venezuela? 📰 Support...
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Politico’s Jonathan Martin on why Spencer Cox should run for president (and why it’s not about winning)
Politico's Jonathan Martin joins the show to discuss his provocative argument that Utah Governor Spencer Cox should mount a 2028 presidential campaign focused on tech regulation and AI. But this isn't about winning the White House—it's about forcing a critical issue into the national…
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Derek Kitchen on his congressional run and fighting for Salt Lake City’s voice in Washington
Former Utah State Senator Derek Kitchen joins the podcast to discuss his campaign for Utah's Congressional District 1 and why he believes Salt Lake City deserves stronger representation in Washington. __________ Hit the subscribe button to stay up-to-date on the latest Utah political news. 📰 For...
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Playing Calvinball with redistricting
Special Session Recap: Legislature moves congressional filing deadline to buy time for redistricting appeal; changes court rules so election lawsuits go directly to Utah Supreme Court. Union Busting Bill Repeal: Strategic retreat—lawmakers feared giving voters an incentive to show up at the polls...
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Ben McAdams on his congressional comeback
Former Democratic Congressman Ben McAdams joins Special Session to discuss his return to politics with a run for Congress in Utah's newly drawn 1st Congressional District. The former congressman opens up about what motivated him to get back in the arena, how he plans to build a winning coalition…
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”People want fighters right now.” Sen. Nate Blouin on his congressional campaign
State Sen. Nate Blouin (D-Salt Lake City) joins the show to discuss his bid for Congress in Utah's new 1st Congressional District created by Judge Diana Gibson's ruling last month. WHY HE'S RUNNING Blouin positions himself as a fighter with a track record of pushing back against the…
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Will the maps stand?
In this episode, Bryan Schott breaks down the latest developments in Utah's congressional redistricting battle, the GOP's million-dollar signature gathering effort, and what's shaping up to be a crowded Democratic primary in the new CD1. Plus, an update on the federal lawsuit over press…
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I feel like Dora the Explorer
Utah's political landscape was transformed overnight when Judge Dianna Gibson implemented a new congressional map that could dramatically change the state's representation in Washington. Host Bryan Schott breaks down the ruling, analyzes the political fallout, and explores what comes next. Tip…
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Schrodinger’s voter fraud
On this episode, we unpack Ben McAdams' likely run for Congress, the GOP’s referendum retreat on redistricting, and why two new “competitive” districts might actually be R+2 and R+6 by design. Plus: a wild lawsuit to overturn SB54 and oust elected officials from office, a trio of eyebrow-raising...
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”The Press Room” replay (subscriber-exclusive livestream sample)
In this replay of our subscriber-only livestream from 11/03/2025, we walk through the Lyman-aligned federal lawsuit to overturn Utah election results by attacking SB 54’s signature-gathering path, Mike Lee’s latest outrage cycle over a non-story, fraud and domestic-incident allegations…
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A pretzel of financial shenanigans
This week in Utah politics: dark money, taxpayer funded PR campaign and a massive homeless campus. Mega “service campus” for the homeless near SLC airport: 16 acres, up to 1,300 beds, involuntary commitments, forced treatment. Civil liberties alarms vs. “we have to do something.” Cox does damage...
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Expand or extinct: Democrats’ 2030 redistricting crisis
Run for Something's Amanda Litman explains why Democrats must invest in red states now—or face permanent minority status after 2030 redistricting. She argues that redistricting in 2030 is going to gut the already-narrow path to power for Democrats. California and New York will lose seats in...
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The Utah GOP finds the redistricting UNO reverse card
Utah Republican Party announced a dual strategy to combat court-ordered redistricting and repeal Prop 4. Referendum on Option C Map (00:04:33) GOP launching statewide referendum to overturn legislature's newly passed congressional map Needs 134,000 signatures by November 15th Must hit signature...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Utah Political Watch
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Special Session with Bryan Schott have?
Special Session with Bryan Schott currently has 60 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Special Session with Bryan Schott about?
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,...
How often does Special Session with Bryan Schott release new episodes?
Special Session with Bryan Schott has 60 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Special Session with Bryan Schott?
You can listen to Special Session with Bryan Schott on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Special Session with Bryan Schott?
Special Session with Bryan Schott is created and hosted by Utah Political Watch.
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