Boyd Matheson to join John Curtis’ office as strategic adviser

Utah Sen.-elect John Curtis announced on Tuesday that former KSL News Radio host Boyd Matheson will join his office as a strategic adviser.
Matheson previously served as Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s chief of staff from 2012 to 2016 and as Lee’s communications director during his 2010 campaign.
“Boyd is principled and policy-focused,” Curtis said in a press release. “His deep understanding of the United States Senate, his strategic communication abilities, and his experience in building high-performance organizations will complement every member of our talented team.”
In an interview with the Deseret News, Matheson praised Curtis and his staff, who have been recognized as some of the most responsive and productive in Congress, while explaining that his role will be to help Curtis’ team adapt to the unique environment of the Senate.
“I am excited for this season to amplify, magnify and extend the Sen.-elect’s message, principles and policies and help foster a team and a culture that can help transform the Senate and serve the country and the people of Utah at a critical time,” said Matheson.
Matheson described the position as his priority for the foreseeable future, likely constituting a new full time job, despite his original plan to return to consulting and government affairs after retiring from radio.
On Nov. 8, Matheson wrapped up more than four years as the voice of Inside Sources, which was preceded by three years as opinion editor at Deseret News and two years as president of the conservative think tank Sutherland Institute.
Prior to entering politics and journalism, Matheson worked as the communications director for software company Symantec, founded Trillium Strategies, a strategic communications firm, and authored multiple books.
Matheson said he was attracted to Curtis’ campaign by the congressman’s “unique strategic statesman quality,” meaning that Curtis finds opportunities to influence his colleagues through meaningful conversations regardless of his official leadership position.
“He’s an extraordinary listener,” Matheson said of Curtis. “He’s a great convener. He can bring people together with really different points of view and different approaches, and it’s never about getting to some sort of squishy compromise.”
Conservative success in the Senate is about starting from principle, looking toward good policy and not allowing politics to get in the way, according to Matheson. This approach will be key to representing Utah on issues like climate, public lands, China and reforming Social Security and Medicare, Matheson said.
Matheson’s hope is that he can help Curtis restore the Senate “as the world’s greatest deliberative body.” Matheson foresees this as being a process that Curtis, and Matheson’s former boss, Lee, Utah’s senior senator, can work on together.
“I think between Senator Curtis and Senator Lee, they will be able to tag team in really unique ways, both for the state and for the country, in terms of how things actually do get done in the United States Senate,” Matheson said.