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a day ago
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Brian King wins election as Utah Democratic Party Chair
Brian King said he believes more people are turning to the Democratic party as they're tired of Trump and the Utah legislature.
Yahoo
a day ago
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Utah Democratic Party elects new leadership, Brian King
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Delegates gathered at the Utah Democratic Convention in Ogden on Saturday, May 31– and with all eyes on the race for the new chair of the party, the results are in, with Brian King winning with 52% of the vote. As the newly elected party leader, King is a seasoned politician with 16 years of experience as a state legislator. He is the former House Minority Leader and ran for governor last year. 'This is a new era and this is our moment. As Chair, I'm ready to lead the charge to hold out-of-touch Republicans accountable, to connect with voters across the state and political spectrum, and to flip seats from the top of the ballot to the bottom. Monopolies, in politics and otherwise, aren't good for anyone and Utahns deserve better,' said King. Former Democratic Chair Diane Lewis said she was 'delighted to pass the torch' to King, and is excited to see how new leadership moves forward together for the future of Utah. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who was anticipated to speak at the convention and is thought by many to be preparing for a presidential run, shared a message in a recorded video: 'Utah Democrats know a thing or two about showing up to the fight,' he said. 'You know how to stand up against the odds and get things done.' Over 1400 votes were counted in the race — a record number and over 600 ballots more than last year. This year's race for chair included former executive director of Salt Lake Democrats Ben Peck, former congressional candidate Jonathan Lopez, and perennial democratic hopeful Archie Williams III. Considered a fresh face among the group, Peck, at just 25 years old, has already ran two successful campaigns for democratic candidates — one in Salt Lake County and another in Murray. Many delegates were convinced he may have been elected as the new party chair, but Peck came up short with 45% of the vote. Election results are as follows: Chair: Bring King, 52% Vice-Chair: Susan Merrill, 52% Secretary: Brad Dickter, 56% Treasurer: Catherine Voutaz, 77% In addition to electing new leadership, the party adopted a new platform, which 'remains grounded' in their 'collective core values of economic security, equality of opportunity, and investing in the common good,' according to the party. Utah Democratic Party elects new leadership, Brian King Mama and baby bear cool off in California family's pool Last living grandson of 10th U.S. President John Tyler, dies at 96 How did white-tailed deer come back from near-extinction? Florida mother of dead 6-year-old was trying to 'exorcise demons': sheriff Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
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Utah Democrats elect former lawmaker to lead in their quest for more blue districts
Brian King speaks at the Utah Democratic Party Convention at Ogden High School on May 31, 2025. (Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch) When Utah Democrats gathered at Ogden High School for their organizing convention on Saturday, the school hallways loudly echoed the voices of 600 delegates registering and debating whether an established politician or a newcomer had what it takes to transform red districts into blue after the departure of Diane Lewis, who had been in the role for the last four years. Ultimately, that was decided by thin margins, when 52% of delegates voted Brian King to be the new Utah Democratic Party chair, a choice that reflected the party's desire to trust widely known names to support its goal of gaining prominence in bright red Utah. 'This isn't just some abstract policy debate. What we're talking about is happening right now,' King said during his pitch. 'It's parents losing their Medicaid coverage. It's students being told what they can't study. It's immigrants being detained without due process and deported. It's workers picking up the tab while billionaires cash in.' King, who was a state representative from 2009 to 2024, when he quit to run for governor, highlighted his experience, saying he has been in the party long enough to know the dedication and planning needed to achieve its goals. He has also raised money and has cultivated important relationships across the state. Utah Democrats to choose between seasoned legislator and young campaigner as new leader He also committed to getting his hands dirty and filling up his calendar to show real progress. 'I've been able to stand on the House floor and say to the Republican supermajority, call them out for what they are, extremists who are out of touch with the values of Utah,' King said. 'I took on the governor on the fake stage, and I told the truth. I said, 'He's not a leader. He's a lapdog for the legislature.'' In a statement after his win, King commended the convention's turnout, saying it was a demonstration of Utah Democrats' energy, motivation and readiness to fight for their values. 'This is a new era and this is our moment. As chair, I'm ready to lead the charge to hold out-of-touch Republicans accountable, to connect with voters across the state and political spectrum, and to flip seats from the top of the ballot to the bottom,' King said. 'Monopolies, in politics and otherwise, aren't good for anyone and Utahns deserve better.' The day started early with caucus meetings, as cars filled up the school's parking lot and neighboring streets. While it's not an election year, delegates were fiery as party leaders and candidates mentioned some of the flagship policies the Republican Party has implemented in the state's Legislature and, most recently, since President Donald Trump took office this year — immigration, Medicaid cuts, book bans and controversial culture war issues. From the prayer to the candidates' speeches, Democrats expressed profound concerns on the political status of the country under Trump's direction, with some describing it as 'being at war.' While about 600 delegates showed up in person for the convention, 1,450 voted with the availability of digital ballots — a record number, the party said in a news release. Tara Benally, who traveled with her mom from the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County for the convention, said she hoped to get more representation in rural areas out of the leadership change. 'Not many people are aware of what's happening today or what's going on within the state, because a lot of information stops somewhere along the way and just doesn't get disseminated,' she said. Especially, she added, when tribes are so deeply concerned with the status of public lands, the expansion of extractive industries, and the transportation of uranium through their neighborhoods. 'What is being done to help resolve a lot of the emergency issues that have been brought? What has been done to help monitor the air quality? A lot of these things we hear up in the Wasatch Front, but have not come down to our area,' Benally said. 'When is that going to happen?' A couple of hours before the voting started, the candidates made their pitches to delegates, with King arguing that the choices they made on Saturday would define the state and the party for years to come, as many started to pay attention to real impacts of policy coming out of the White House and the Legislature. Ben Peck, a young campaigner and former executive director of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party, highlighted his track record running campaigns that led to the election of Democrats including Natalie Pinkney in a tight race for the Salt Lake County Council, Sheila Srivastava, the first woman elected to serve as Salt Lake County treasurer, and Rosalba Dominguez, a freshman Utah House representative. 'Our democracy is facing an existential crisis. We need a party that acts like that. We don't have time for part-time leaders anymore. We need a leader of our party whose full-time job is being the leader, building our party,' Peck said. Other candidates for the role, Archie Williams III and Jonathan Lopez, also made their case, however, but fell well below King and Peck in the in-person support. The party also voted to approve a platform highlighting values they hope to lift up, including economic security, equality of opportunity, investing in the common good, and American leadership. Additionally, it overwhelmingly passed a resolution condemning efforts to extend presidential tenure beyond two terms, as well as denouncing mass workforce reduction and benefit cuts in the Department of Veterans Affairs. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
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Utah Democrats to choose between seasoned legislator and young campaigner as new leader
Campaigner Ben Peck and former Rep. Brian King are the two major candidates seeking to lead the Utah Democratic Party. (Photos courtesy of Ben Peck and Brian King) Utah Democratic Party officials expect between 800 to 1,000 people to attend their organizing convention in person this year, one of the largest headcounts for a non-election year gathering the party has seen in recent years. Diane Lewis, who has chaired the party's Utah chapter for the last four years, didn't throw her hat in the ring for another term in her role. But, with four other candidates eager to pick up where she left off, she's hopeful for the future of organized Democrats in deep red Utah. 'I have never seen as much excitement and turnout at our conventions. I would say that our turnouts probably have doubled (in different Democratic events across the state),' Lewis said on Thursday. 'New people, young people, people wanting to get involved, run for office.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX There are two major candidates for chair this year — former Rep. Brian King, a widely-known face in state politics for about 16 years who left his spot at the Utah House to compete in last year's gubernatorial elections with no success, and newcomer Ben Peck, who has been behind campaigns that have flipped some red offices to blue. Jonathan Lopez, an IT technician who has been behind other Democratic campaigns and is also running for chair, didn't answer an interview request, and the fourth candidate, Archie A Williams III, didn't list his information on the party's website prior to the convention. Committing to such a role didn't come easy for King, he said on Thursday. But, after seeing President Donald Trump's election and bracing to witness another legislative session with a Republican supermajority, this time from the sidelines, he couldn't stand the idea of sitting on his hands. He sees that ubiquitous red presence in Utah politics as a monopoly that needs to be of lower intensity with more competition. Strategizing before election, Utah Democrats plead 'come back home' 'People may not realize how damaging it is to have a monopoly of political power, like we do in Utah,' King said. 'The Republicans have a supermajority in the legislature. They control the executive branch with the governor. They control the great majority of counties here in the state, and it's not good for Utahns to not have more healthy competition.' Most Democratic elected officers represent areas along the Wasatch Front. However, King believes that Utahns in rural counties are ready for a change of policies to tackle issues they deal with daily. 'When you're in the supermajority for long enough, like the Republicans are, you get complacent. You think that you don't have to address people's problems, you don't have to work hard,' he said. During his campaign, he has also seen more engagement from affiliates who, since Trump took office, have felt the need to step up, he said, 'and push back against government overreach at the state level and the federal level.' While King has been around for longer and has an extensive list of flashy endorsements, including Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County mayors, among other prominent Utah Democrats, Peck said he's 'cautiously optimistic' about his chances on Saturday. 'My message seems to really be resonating with people,' Peck said. 'I know it's going to be an uphill battle. Brian has a long history here in the state and in the party, but I think that people are ready for a change, ready to try something new.' He knows what it takes to win in Utah, he said, highlighting the successful campaigns he ran that elected Natalie Pinkney in a tight race for a Salt Lake County Council seat, and Sheila Srivastava, the first woman elected to serve as Salt Lake County treasurer. At 25 years old, he also believes the party needs representation from younger people, as support appears to be slipping in that group and the state Legislature keeps its Republican supermajority. 'It's hard for people who have been involved in politics for decades to credibly tell people 'I'm going to fix it. Things are going to change now,' because people rightly come back with, 'well, why haven't you done it yet?'' Peck said. The day will start and end early at Ogden High School, with delegates convening in smaller caucuses to discuss issues like approaches to health care, education and labor, among others, and to elect new leadership, including the party's vice chair, secretary and treasurer. Delegates will also vote on a party platform highlighting Utah Democrats' belief in economic security, equality of opportunity and investing in the common good for all. Additionally, they'll make their choice on two resolutions, one relating to veterans, and the other to take an official stand against presidents running for three terms. While Lewis is looking forward to her retirement, she is also excited about seeing where the party goes now. 'We have amazing leaders in each county party, and they're willing to work. I hope that the new leadership of the state party sees that whole thing, and that they continue to build from where we are now,' Lewis said. 'Because the only place we can go is up.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
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Utah Democrats to elect new party chair, Pritzker speaks at organizing convention
SALT LAKE CITY () — Utah Democrats will be electing new party leadership at their party's organizing convention on Saturday, May 31, at Ogden High School, and will hear from one of the nation's boldest , Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. That new leadership team will face big questions of how to capitalize on local gains while the national party faces something of a post-election crisis. As for Pritzker's appearance, it comes on the heels of he recently gave to donors and party faithful at New Hampshire's Democratic Party's annual McIntyre-Shaheen dinner, calling for 'everyone everywhere' to fight Trump's message. He is also rumored to be considering . 'Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption. But I am now,' the billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune and Governor said to New Hampshire's democrats. 'These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They must understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soap box and then punish them at the ballot box,' Pritzker said. While Democrats nationally look to coalesce around a leader, two of the four candidates running for Utah's party chair recently joined to break down how they intend to tackle both the local and national perils facing their party. The candidates for Democratic Party Chair include Brian King, a former longtime state representative, and Ben Peck, former Executive Director of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. The other candidates, Johnathan Lopez and Archie Williams, did not respond to requests to join. The following is the interview with King and Peck, transcribed in full: Lindsay Aerts: It is no secret that Republicans dominate this state, and we live in a super minority here in Utah, but Utah Democrats, they've not been elected to a statewide office in about three decades. How do you change that? Ben Peck: Well, it's not going to happen overnight, but I think that what we need to start doing is competing everywhere. We've heard a lot from the DNC now about going back to a 50-state strategy, and I think that we need to do a similar thing here in Utah. We can't just focus on a couple of districts in Salt Lake County. We need to be competing everywhere, all across our state, down in the south, and every part. We need to be showing up, and a lot of people probably have no idea that there is a Utah Democratic Party because they've never seen or heard from them. So we need to change that, and that's what I want to do as party chair. Brian, let me pose the same question to you. Brian King: I think we've got to have a message that resonates with Utahns. I think we've got to be communicating about things that they care about, the problems and issues that they deal with on a day-to-day basis. What we see from way too many Republican office holders and candidates is culture war issues, trying to push our emotional buttons, trying to divide us, trying to talk about things that are diverting our attention from the things that people really care about and need to hear about. We as Democrats are addressing policy issues that people care about and that they deal with in their day-to-day lives, and I think we have to make sure people understand that. Lindsay Aerts: Talk to me about why you each wanted to run the Democratic Party in Utah. It's a tough sell right now for a lot of people. Candidates don't feel like they've got a party that can really bolster them and get them elected. Again, statewide candidates haven't been elected, so why did you want to take this on? Ben Peck: Well, honestly, that's a lot of the reason why I wanted to take it on is I've worked with candidates for the past seven years here in Utah, helping them get elected, and I'm close friends with many of them, and it's incredibly disheartening to feel like the party doesn't have your back, that it's not effective, and ultimately that's why I wanted to jump in is because I know that I have the skills and the dedication that we need. I am at a point in my life where I can dedicate my entire working days to this, and I just… I can't imagine doing anything else with what we're seeing nationally and here locally. Brian King: Well, when you have a supermajority in the legislature, you basically have a monopoly on political control here in Utah, and monopolies are no good for people. I mean, they're terrible for consumers, of course. We all know that, but what people don't recognize as clearly is that the monopoly that the Republican Party has on state policy and politics right now is no less harmful. It's incredibly bad for the future of the state of Utah to have one party calling all the shots, so having a more competitive environment is something that I've worked… tried to accomplish at the legislature, and we've got terrible things going on at both the federal and the state level right now, and I saw that. I saw the election of Donald Trump, and I just thought this is something that I want to be a part of in terms of trying to communicate more effectively to Utahns about why it is that the Democratic Party reflects their values and priorities. Lindsay Aerts: Let me ask you why. Why do you believe that the Democratic Party reflects Utah values? Again, we do live in a majority Republican state, so talk to me about your platforms and how and what you believe about the party. Brian King: Well, there are a lot of things that I think, ways in which the Democratic Party lines up with Utah's values, but probably the most important one that we see being infringed on right now is we need government back in its position where it needs to be. We need it out of our lives. We need it out of our homes. There's government overreach by this legislature and by Donald Trump and his administration left and right, whether it's what books we can read and have our children read, whether it's reproductive rights, the government telling us about when, as between communications between pregnant women and families and their doctors, what they'll do, when they'll do it. Those are all things that are just not in line with Utah values. So, the first thing I think is government overreach is a real problem. Ben Peck: Well, I completely agree with what Brian said about government overreach, and I do think that that aligns very well with a lot of people. I grew up in Riverton, Utah, two Republican parents. All of my friends that I grew up with were Republican, and I think that the message of getting the government out of our lives is absolutely something that we should lead with. In addition, I believe that we have something to offer and that we believe that public servants should be servants of the people and should not be getting bribes or being corrupt in any other way. We believe that morality shouldn't stop when you take the oath of office, if anything else. It should be more so, and we also believe that people who put in a full day's work should be able to afford to live. Those are very simple things that resonate, in my experience, with a lot of voters all across this state. Lindsay Aerts: We've spent some time criticizing Republicans here, or I should say you guys have, but how do you work with them? In a state like this, you can't get anything done unless you work with them. What is your philosophy on that? Ben Peck: Well, I do think realistically we do need to work with them. I don't necessarily believe that it's the role of the Utah Democratic Party to do that. I understand that our legislators need to do that, and our elected officials will need to do that. What I think the job of the Democratic Party, though, is to give our vision and get our candidates elected, and then our elected officials can negotiate once they're in office. I don't want to start negotiating before we even have power, but I do think that there are opportunities for us to work with other Republicans on specific issues. Tyler Clancy, I disagree with him on a lot of issues, but he and Representative Matthews have also come together to do a lot of good things for working people, so I think that there are those opportunities. Brian, you've had to work with many a Republican from your days in the state legislature. Brian King: I think it requires good social skills and working relationships on a personal level. Once you get to know someone personally, you find that some of the political differences that kept you apart before become reduced and lowered, and you can get things done. But I also think it's true that the party leadership needs to recruit candidates for office that are attractive to Utahns, that reflect Utah values, and that they themselves will be in a position to be able to work with Republicans. It is true, of course, in a super-majority state like ours, when you're in the super-minority status, you have to figure out how to get votes from Republicans, and you do that by finding common ground and by listening to the people and what they want. And then when you have an idea about what they want, you go to your folks on the other side of the aisle, your friends, and sometimes even your enemies, and say, can't we find some common ground to address this specific thing that Utahns want? Lindsay Aerts: Part of what the party needs to do for its candidates is help get them raising money, right, as part of that apparatus, too. Brian, is the party solvent right now? How do you raise money? How do you fundraise? How do you get your big donor class? There are Democratic donors in the wings here in Utah who don't feel like they have a party to give to. How do you change that? Brian King: Thank you for that question. It's a great question. The party is solvent right now. Diane Lewis and the leadership team that are the current party leaders have done a good job in making sure that we're in the black, not in the red. But there is great opportunity to approach, as you say, people who are very interested and involved in national politics and haven't really committed themselves or invested in local politics with the Utah State Party. I think that there's great opportunity to speak with those individuals and help them understand that there's real value in investing locally, especially since the Democrats are out of power on the national level. Utah's where we need to get support and investment for building a party from the grassroots, from the bench, to win elections in Utah. Ben Peck: We are, thankfully, solvent. Over the years, the Utah Democratic Party spends about a million dollars a year, which I think would shock most people because it doesn't seem like we're getting much for it. I think that that's also part of the reason why it's been hard for us to expand beyond that. We've been level in our fundraising for many years. These donors that you're talking about, like up in Park City and Summit County, that spend millions of dollars donating to Democrats across the country, the way that we convince them to keep their money here is by showing them that we can actually win here. I think that having someone like me as chair, who has a proven track record of winning competitive elections, getting Democrats elected here in Utah, I can go to them and credibly tell them that I have a plan. I have done this before. I can get Democrats elected here. That's how we convince them to bring their money back home. Lindsay Aerts: Your convention is coming up on May 31. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is going to speak at that convention. He has been seen as a national firebrand for your party to be able to unite the opposition against President Donald Trump. How does he bring his message to Utah and resonate? Why is that get, so to speak, for lack of a better word, so important, Brian? Brian King: I think Governor Pritzker has been very clear and direct in standing up for speaking about values and things that Democrats across the country, not just Democrats, but regular Americans have been concerned about from the Trump administration. We like, I like the fact that he's direct, that he's unequivocal, that he has some fire, and that he has some focus. And I think that the delegates are going to appreciate hearing that. And I think many, many Utahns, of course, there is a substantial number of Utahns who are Donald Trump supporters and you're not going to move them, but there are a lot of Utahns who are disillusioned, they're disappointed with that, with what we see from the Trump administration. J.B. Pritzker is a great spokesperson to come out and say, here's what we need to do differently. Lindsay Aerts: Ben, what's the message that Utah Democrats need to hear at their convention to bolster the party, to give them some sense of hope that, like you both believe, Democrats have a shot at getting some statewide representation? Ben Peck: Well, I think that, like Brian said, one of the best things about J.B. Pritzker, Governor Pritzker, is that he can rile up a crowd. He tells it like it is. He just is very brash. And I think that that's something we've been missing here. I mean, yes, Utahns are nice. That's a thing we hear a lot. But also people like when you're honest with them, when you're direct. And that's what we need more of in this party. And I think the message we need to take to people is we can win, but it's not going to be easy. And we need you to buckle down with us and do the work. And we're not going to apologize for being Democrats. We're not going to be ashamed of it. We're not going to just try and get a couple of pity bills passed every year in the legislative session. We're here to win. And I think people need to hear that message. We're not here to just get a consolation prize. We're here to win. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
