The lengthy list of state and national candidates on the Democratic and Republican tickets will be shortened on Saturday when delegates cast their votes at their respective state party conventions.
Both conventions will take place on Saturday, April 21. Candidates for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Utah governor and Utah State legislature will give speeches and attempt to persuade more than 60 percent of the state delegates to vote for them in order to avoid a primary election in June.
With both parties’ tickets full, a lot is at stake for both long-time incumbents and first-time candidates.
Democrats Pete Ashdown, Scott Howell and William Peterson are running for U.S. Senate while on the Republican side, 10 candidates are challenging incumbent Orrin Hatch, including Dan Liljenquist.
Utah Governor Gary Herbert faces stiff competition from five other Republican candidates, most notably current representative Kenneth Sumsion (R-American Fork). Only one Democrat, Peter Cooke, is running for Governor.
One of Summit County’s Senators, Allen Christensen (R-Ogden), is being challenged by fellow Ogden Republican Dan Deuel. Democrat Peter Clemens and Liberation Party candidate Courtney White are also vying for Senate District 19.
Summit County Democratic Chair Glenn Wright said his party’s convention will begin early Saturday morning in order to accommodate all the candidates’ speeches.
“As far as the best-case scenario to come out of the convention, I think it is split if it would be good for candidates to go to a primary or not,” Wright said. “For our Senate race, people know the candidates so I think one of them can go right to the general election. But new candidates that don’t have name recognition like Donna McAleer and Ryan Combe, who are running for the U.S. House of Representatives [District 1], a primary may help people learn about them and know their names.”
Republicans Jacqueline Smith and Leonard Fabiano are also running for U.S. House District 1, which encompasses Summit County, against Republican incumbent Rob Bishop.
Republican Party Chair for Summit County, Henry Glasheen, said he does not expect any surprises at the Republican State Convention. He would not comment on his expectations for Orrin Hatch’s contested Senate seat.
“We have 4,000 state delegates and I expect 90 percent to show up,” Glasheen said. “Republican candidates have been holding events around the County and trying to make themselves available.”
Republican Kraig Powell, who is running for re-election for Utah House District 54 against Democratic Summit County Council member Chris Robinson, said although he is running unopposed on his party’s ticket, he has still been speaking with delegates and will be speaking at the convention.
“I know the delegates have been preoccupied with other races, but I have made myself available to offer advice and answer delegates’ questions,” Powell said. “I have also been listening to what constituents’ concerns are in the Legislature so I can address them.”
Robinson said he will also be attending his party’s convention and making himself available for questions.
Republican Candidate John Zimmerman said he took the week before the convention off of work in order to speak with as many delegates as possible. Zimmerman is running against fellow Republican Mel Brown for Utah House Seat 53.
“I have been speaking with people at every opportunity and have made it my goal to speak with as many delegates as I can,” he said. “I think I have a good chance going into the convention and am hoping to skip the primary election because there is no Democrat running for the seat, so the election would be over by next week.
The Republican State Convention is April 21 at the South Towne Expo Center. The Democratic State Convention is April 21 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
Delegates for both parties will be voting on candidates for Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, Senator, Congressional District 1, Congressional District 2, Congressional District 3, Congressional District 4, and multi-county races for Utah State Senate and House of Representatives.