Cache Valley Dems pick their candidates
Cache County Democrats rallied support at their April 8 convention, where they elected candidates for fall elections and passed resolutions.
“We are here today to turn Utah blue,” said Vincent Wickwar, vice chair of Cache County Democrats.
Wickwar said he looks forward to the fall elections with hope. He said he has seen near-record turnout at caucuses and other party events. Despite this, local precincts still need leaders to help obtain the desired victory in Utah’s midterm elections, Wickwar said.
At the convention, four Cache County candidates were nominated and elected. Those who were elected were Stuart Howell, running for the Utah State Legislature in District 3; Sara Lundberg of House District 4; Suzanne Marychild of House District 5 and Brian Chambers, who is running for re-election for the Cache County Council in the Northeast District.
Messages were also shared by Arthur Douglas, who is running in Senate District 17, Pete Ashdown, candidate for U.S. Senate, and Steve Olsen, Utah’s 1st Congressional District candidate.
Reid Pearce, party chairman, said he also is optimistic about the elections as U.S. President George W. Bush continues to lose support in Cache County and Utah.
“This is the year of the Democrats,” Pearce said. “It’s been the year of Democrats for awhile. The Republicans just haven’t known it.
Secretary of the State Democratic Party Xavier Hermosillo said there are 222 democratic candidates statewide, breaking the previous record of 139 filed candidates.
“Republicans are shaking in their boots right now,” Hermosillo said. “They have no idea how awake we really are.”
Pearce called for financial support for Cache Democrats and local candidates.
“We’re doing alright, but not good enough because we have to get people elected. It takes money,” Pearce said. “We could have the greatest candidates, and we do, but we have to give them the fuel.”
Olsen said it is important to inform those of other political affiliations of the Democrats’ real values and recruit them into the party.
“There is an attitude that Utah Democrats are not sharing their values, so they punch the elephant. We want to change that,” Olsen said. “They shouldn’t go to Sean Hannity and Republicans to find out what the Democrats are doing. They need to come to us for our values.”
Pearce recalled the first Cache County Democratic Convention he attended in 1975 and said he feels great pleasure as party membership continues to grow locally.
“There were 15 people there and I’m probably pushing it just a little bit. Here we are today at another convention. The crowd has grown and grown every year,” Pearce said, speaking to around 60 people.
Resolutions regarding air quality and transportation planning, education, sustainable development and minimum wage were proposed and approved by those attending the convention.
Daren Olson, who presented the resolutions, said there needs to be a regional automobile emission standard set and rules to enforce them put in place to maintain high air quality.
There needs to be an increase in student funding, Olson said. The goal of this resolution is to raise per-pupil funding to at least be equal with the national average. Olson said teacher salaries also need to be improved to sustain teachers and their interest in the profession.
Douglas said, “It is a shame they are being shipped out of state because they can’t make a viable living. We are short-changing them.
The third resolution passed concerned sustainable development. Olson said plans need to be made to preserve, enhance and sustain surrounding lands.
“We need to preserve what we are agriculturally. We are going to be overrun, but growth is good,” Howell said.
The final resolution passed dealt with minimum wage. The Cache Democrats believe the rate of minimum wage is not enough to maintain a home or raise a family. The Democrats support a state law that would increase minimum wage.
-ariek@cc.usu.edu