Latest news with #DianeLewis
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah Democrats launch campaign to recruit more party candidates in local elections
The Utah Democratic Party has kicked off a statewide campaign with the goal of recruiting hundreds of Democratic candidates to run for local office in Utah. 'To ensure progress in our state, we have to be persistent with voters. That means no contest is too local and no race is too small,' said Diane Lewis, state Democratic Party chair. 'Our pathway to victory is to find local leaders to run for office everywhere.' The campaign, which kicked off last week, is part of a national movement being led by Contest Every Race, which is working to rebuild Democratic strength in places where Republicans often run uncontested. The new 2025 candidate recruitment program is trying to fill more than 700 offices in communities around Utah, including city council, town council and mayoral seats. This will be done through seeking and supporting new Democratic candidates ahead of the June 7 filing deadline. Outreach for the recruitment drive will prioritize rural and small-town communities, where Republicans often run unopposed. Outreach methods include text messaging, organizing meetings and coaching support for first-time candidates. 'In local races across the country, we are seeing voters turn out in red districts and vote for Democrats,' added Zoë Stein, executive director of Contest Every Race. 'That's why we're so excited to partner with Utah Democrats and ensure voters have a choice — because when they do, they vote blue." National Contest Every Race initiative Contest Every Race was founded in 2018, and since then has recruited over 11,000 Democrats to run for local office across the country. 'We believe that no election should go unchallenged and that regular people with shared values can step up to make a difference,' per the Contest Every Race website. 'Our mission is to strengthen democracy by empowering individuals to run for office, especially in communities where Republicans and the radical right have taken control unopposed.' In 2022, the organization found that more than 50% of all partisan races went without Democratic contest. How many Utah races went uncontested last year? Utah is a primarily Republican state and has multiple races go uncontested each election year. In the November 2024 general election, out of 137 Utah elections covered by Ballotpedia, 35 of them were uncontested. Throughout all of 2024, Ballotpedia covered 638 elections in Utah and 442 of them were uncontested. Ballotpedia defines an uncontested election as 'one where the number of candidates on the ballot is less than or equal to the number of seats up for election. Candidates running in uncontested elections are virtually guaranteed victory.' In the 2024 elections for Utah's state legislative seats, there was no Democratic candidate in 25 of 75 House races and in 6 of 14 Senate races.
