George Daines elected as Cache County executive in special election
Cache County Executive David Zook announced in a press release on Aug. 15 he would be resigning from his position effective Sept. 8. The Cache County Republican Party held a special election to fill his place on Sept. 11 at Ridgeline High School in Millville, electing George Daines.
Zook is not only resigning from this position but retiring from public service altogether. According to the press release, he worked in this field for 30 years.
“I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to serve my community — entering public service was one of the best choices I ever made,” wrote Zook.
Because the resignation occurred mid-term, the rules of this specific special election only allowed Republican, also known as the Grand Old Party, delegates to vote. This is because Zook is a Republican, and Utah law states the party of the vacating official is the one who chooses a replacement.
If he had waited to resign during the next general election in November 2026, then anyone registered to vote in Cache Valley would have been eligible to vote for Cache County Executive.
County delegates are members of their party who show up to their neighborhood caucuses on caucus nights and run for the delegate position. Everyone in their caucus votes via ballot or raise of hands, and if selected, one becomes a delegate for the next two years. Some of their roles include voting in special elections, party conventions and attending events.
At this specific special election, an open house allowing voters to speak with the candidates took place at 5:30 p.m., and the meeting came to order at 6:30 p.m. Those who ran were Danes, Micah Safsten, Dirk Anderson, Craig Anhder, Mark Hurd, Stephanie Miller and Rhyan Dockter.
According to cachegop.com, 461 delegates voted at the election.
There were three rounds of voting. Safsten, Anderson and Daines were the three with the most votes after the first round, meaning they made it to the second round. Anderson was eliminated by the third, leaving only Safsten and Daines. In the end, Daines received the most votes, winning 54% in round three, and became Cache County’s new county executive.
Each candidate got six minutes to speak, explaining to the delegates why they should vote for them. Runner-up Safsten is a part-time adjunct professor at USU, teaching a course on the history of political thought. He is also a water coordinator for the Great Salt Lake Commissioner’s Office.
“I have sweat on my face and dust on my jacket because I’ve been on the front lines of the issues facing Cache County,” Safsten said. “While I’m not a professional politician, I am a professional.”
Safsten went on to speak about his experience as the first full-time policy analyst for the Cache County Council. He expressed his opinion that the county needs an executive who spends less time at ribbon cuttings and more time cutting budgets, which was met with applause.
Daines is a life-long resident of Cache Valley, having graduated from Logan High School and attending USU before transferring to Yale Law School. All six of his children were raised in the valley.
According to a pamphlet he passed out at the election, Daines has led Cache Valley Bank for over 30 years, which is why he thinks he is right for this role. In his opinion, the two most pressing issues facing Cache County are overspending the allotted budget and contention between factions of the county government. He vowed to fix these issues when elected.
“I was not selected by any faction. I don’t represent any council member,” Daines said. “I am an outsider. I told you clearly what I propose to do. If you vote for me, I will do those things. If you don’t want those things, then don’t vote for me.”
Now elected, Daines wrote his commitment to the county is fiscal responsibility, unity in government, independent leadership and serving until the job is done.