There are 118 days until the 2012 election and 201 days until the start of the 2013 legislative session.

It's official. Mark Crockett defeats Mike Winder to capture the GOP nomination for Salt Lake County Mayor. He will face Ben McAdams in November [Tribune, Deseret News, KUTV, ABC 4, 

Crockett stands to benefit from having Mitt Romney at the top of the ticket [City Weekly].

Vice President Joe Biden slams Mitt Romney during his visit to Utah yesterday [Tribune, Deseret News, Park Record, 

Gov. Gary Herbert is killing his Democratic challenger Peter Cooke in fundraising [Utah Policy].

Legislative leaders say they will take no action on healthcare and Medicaid until after the November election [Tribune].

Opponents of the Common Core educational standards meet with lawmakers and Gov. Herbert [Tribune, Deseret News].

A vacant spot on the federal bench in Utah has been deemed an "emergency" because of the number of cases, but it's unclear whether the Senate will fill the slot before their August recess [Tribune].

The controversial American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) holds their summer meeting in Salt Lake City later this month [City Weekly].

Sen. Mike Lee is upset over the way he has been portrayed on the HBO series "The Newsroom" [Tribune, Deseret News, KSL].

The annual Utah vs. BYU football game will be on hold for at least two years beginning in 2014 [Tribune, Deseret News, KUTV, KSL].