Lt. Governor and Democratic candidate go head-to-head
In their only debate before the election, Lt. Gov. Greg Bell and Democratic challenger Vince Rampton met in the TSC Ballroom on Wednesday afternoon.
Michael Lyons, a professor in the political science department who specializes in elections and electoral politics, moderated the debate. Lyons was joined by Erik Mikkelsen, former ASUSU student body president, and Kerry Bringhurst, news director of Utah Public Radio.
With elections less than a week away, political involvement was a major topic of the debate. Rampton said some people avoid voting because they don’t understand that their vote matters.
“The concern is that there are too many that are voting because they feel they are not part of the process because they feel they cannot influence the process,” he said.
The lieutenant governor maintains oversight authority of all federal, state and local elections in the state of Utah.
Lyons asked a follow-up question on why young people do not vote.
“The reason they don’t vote more often is simply because because the Republicans are almost certain to win every election in the state in most parts of the state,” Lyons said. “I’m curious what you think the Democratic Party can do better at being more competitive during the elections in Utah.”
Rampton said Utahns need make sure they understand Utah is not a one-party state.
“The Democratic Party has got to stop being a marginalized institution in the state of Utah,” Rampton said. “The Democratic Party has to shake off the misconception that if you’re a Democrat, you can’t be a good member of the LDS Church. That is a myth. It turns into business as usual and nothing gets done except behind closed doors.”
In addition to students voting, Mikkelsen voiced concern that students are worrying about being unemployed after graduation.
“As lieutenant governor, what can you do in the executive branch that will help to improve Utah’s economy for everyone as they come out of higher education?” Mikkelsen said.
Bell said a business-friendly economy would help ensure students could find post-school jobs.
“We can create an environment in the state of Utah that is friendly and inviting to business,” he said. “Jobs are what drives America and the free enterprise system. Government, per se, does not create good jobs.”
Bell said Utah has a stable, conservative, predictable and legal political tax environment. Utah’s unemployment rate is 5.4 percent versus the nation-wide rate of 7.8 percent, he said.
“That’s what good governors do,” he said. “That’s what a legislature does, to make it secure for businesses to come here so that they can provide jobs.”
Mikkelsen asked the debaters what would they bring and why if they were stranded on an island and were able to bring three things along.
“One if them is my wife Janice,” Rampton said. “I’d have to say what I would really like from my personal life to be with me would probably be LDS scriptures because I am an active member of the LDS Church, and that would be something that is quite important to me. I would want to have a good supply of Coca-Cola and my iPad in full function.”
“Likewise, I would have my wife JoLynn with me.” Bell said. “And I’m hoping like Mr. Rampton to have internet so I can have the scriptures and books, and I would die without graham crackers.”
Brenden Whitelaw, a student majoring in natural resources, said he enjoyed Rampton’s proactive approach.
“I definitely would choose Democratic because they believe in renewable energies,” he said. “When I look around, most everybody’s Republican.”
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