A Summit County ski mountaineer has launched a bid for the Democratic nomination in the contest to succeed the retiring Sen. Mitt Romney in the upper chamber of Congress, outlining a campaign that will stress issues like environmentalism.
Caroline Gleich lives in Silver Creek and is best known in the Park City area for her extensive career in ski mountaineering and environmental activism. She is one of three Democrats competing for the party’s nomination. The plans by Romney, a Republican, to retire, meanwhile, have triggered a clash for the GOP nomination. The Republican who emerges with the nomination will be heavily favored to win the seat.
“As I start this climb towards the U.S. Senate, I carry with me the lessons learned from reaching mountain peaks and navigating life’s terrain. My commitment is unwavering — to empower, to protect, and to advocate for a brighter future,” Gleich said in a prepared statement announcing the campaign. “I’ve been an underdog my whole life with skeptics questioning my height, strength and bravery for scaling the world’s tallest mountains. Yet I’ve summited Everest and Cho Oyu. I’ve broken records and defied limits. Running for the United States Senate to represent the people of Utah is undoubtedly an uphill climb, but I’m no stranger to overcoming challenges.”
The announcement also said she is “answering Senator Romney’s call for ‘a new generation of leaders.'” It said, “Gleich’s vision for Utah is rooted in a commitment to creating positive change, with a focus on advocating for people and the planet, social and environmental justice, and elevating critical issues such as air quality, gender equity, climate action, and more.”
The official launch of the Gleich campaign is planned shortly. It is likely the candidate will provide additional details about her platform at that time.
The presence of Gleich as a candidate suddenly makes this year’s Senate election more notable for people in Park City and surrounding Summit County. It is extraordinarily rare for a local person to seek a seat in the Senate even as there have been repeated attempts by people from Park City or elsewhere in Summit County to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Although Gleich’s platform, which is expected to be heavily influenced by her environmentalism, will likely draw broad interest in Park City and Summit County, she will need to convince voters elsewhere in the state her agenda is the best for Utah. Park City-area candidates who have sought a seat in the lower chamber of Congress in the past 20 years won support from local voters but were overwhelmed by ballots cast in other, more conservative parts of the district in landslide Election Day losses.
There are two Park City-area candidates for Congress this year, adding to local interest in the elections. Glenn Wright, a Democratic stalwart and former member of the Summit County Council, is the only person from the party campaigning in the 3rd Congressional District. He will likely perform well in Summit County on Election Day and struggle elsewhere in the conservative district, which the Republicans are expected to hold.