Mail-in ballots have arrived!
Thank you for giving me the honor of representing you in vetting our primary candidates. I think our local level is the most important for all politics because we should be able to meet, discuss, agree or disagree, and still be neighborly. As your delegates, we have spent in some case 20 -40 hours meeting, grilling, and discussing issues with these candidates. I encourage you to talk with your delegates and get their opinions on the candidates. (A list of our delegates can be found below, so you know who to contact. The opinions of the candidates expressed are mine alone.) Whether you agree or disagree with the delegates' opinions, their insights will prove valuable in assisting you in making an informed decision.
We are fortunate to have great candidates who were willing to put their hats into the ring and offer themselves up as our representatives.
State Races (Delegates: John Dougall, Troy Dougall, Wendy Hart, Ruth White)
US Senate: This is the most high-profile race on this ballot and is between
Mike Kennedy and
Mitt Romney.
I voted for Dr. Kennedy.
Dr. Mike Kennedy has been serving our area in the Utah State House for the past 6 years. He has a very conservative voting record and sees our national debt as one of the biggest problems we face on a federal level. Dr. Kennedy has seen, first-hand, the problems with the Affordable Care Act. He is a strong defender of individual and parental rights, especially on the medical front. He has been on the appropriations committees at the State Legislature and understands both personally, professionally, and politically how to prioritize and how to balance a budget. He is supportive of many of the current policies, such as the recent Tax Cut, and he wants to return control of education to the local level. He understands the importance of returning control of Utah's Public Lands to the state. Dr. Kennedy did not gather signatures, wanting to leave his political fate in the hands of those who he had to convince face-to-face. Personally, I have known Dr. Kennedy for the past 6 years and have worked with him closely as a legislator. I know he is very opposed to Common Core and federal intervention in education. He is always willing to listen to every position and consider the merits of those arguments. Even those who disagree on policy acknowledge his willingness to be considerate and kind to everyone. This isn't just a show, it is at the core of who he is.
Gov. Romney, as most know, was Governor of Massachussets and a candidate for the US Presidency. He is very well-known, nationally, and in political circles. He was an "adopted son" during the 2002 Winter Olympics, when he took over after the scandal that plagued the beginnings of those games. Initially, during the Meet the Candidates, there were not too many opportunities to ask questions directly of Candidate Romney. As those events continued, a few more questions did come to light. Mr. Romney seemed to learn quickly what the issues in Utah were; however, the Public Lands concerns were never addressed to my satisfaction. Also, I had concerns about healthcare mandates, and as the author of the blueprint for the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Romney does know people in DC and does have a lot of influence. Gov. Romney gathered signatures to guarantee he was on the primary ballot.
I am unsure that Mr. Romney understands Utah's issues as well as Dr. Kennedy. I think if he is advised by those who share your issues, he will vote correctly, but if not, I am unsure how he would vote. I had hoped to get a greater understanding of Gov. Romney during the candidate meetings, but most of them were not as question-and-answer as the other candidates in all the other races. Because of this, I know the public persona, but can't speak to anything else. I had hoped for that not to be the case.
US Congress, District 3:
John Curtis and
Chris Herrod
I voted for Mr. Herrod in convention to force a primary. I am leaning toward supporting Mr. Curtis in the primary.
Mr. Curtis is our incumbent and has been for just a handful of months. However, in those few months, I have been pleased with his votes. Rep. Curtis joked, "I was in Congress for 2 days, and the House passed tax reform!" (Many laughs.) He voted against the Omnibus spending bill. He understands the issue with public lands. He's strong on border security but isn't sure he agrees with the President on the wall. But he does agree with him on the goal of border security, including ports, airports, etc. He has voted against deregulation. His view on DACA is we need to add certainty to their lives, but continue with stronger borders. On Affordable Care Act, we need to not see insurance as a way to pay for basics, and supported removing the penalty for not having insurance. He supported the Tax Cuts. What I appreciated the most about Rep. Curtis was his accessibility and his willingness to talk with people, especially those who disagreed with him. When he was in DC, he had tele-townhalls every evening till 8pm our time/ 10pm his time. Since convention, he has had multiple events around our district, and his outreach to the people he represents is second to none. I think when you hear the concerns of those you represent, you are better able to make wise decisions on their behalf. Rep. Curtis gathered signatures to guarantee he was on the primary ballot.
Mr. Herrod has served in the Utah State Legislature and is very strong on the County Republican Platform. He is consistent with the principles articulated there, and I have been very supportive of those principles. Mr. Herrod is strong on border security and understands the great need we have to fix our legal immigration system. As the husband of a legal immigrant, he has seen first-hand the brokenness of that process. If we could fix legal immigration, then we would be able to make it easier for people to come in through the front door, as it were. Mr. Herrod is opposed to Common Core and federal involvement in education. However, he was not as available for delegate meetings as Mr. Curtis. Mr. Herrod did not gather signatures.
County Races: (Delegates: Devirl Barfuss, Wendy Hart, Tim Heyrend, Rod Mann, Suzanne Mann, Scott Smith)
Utah House of Representatives, District 27:
Brady Brammer and
Jared Carman
I voted for Mr. Carman.
Both candidates support the East-West Corridor going through (road from just south of Lone Peak to the Alpine Highway), local curriculum decisions made in education, and think there is too much involvement from the state legislature in the local schools. Both have been involved in drafting and working to pass legislation. Both are supportive of families and religious freedom.
Mr. Brammer is an attorney who has represented cities and other governmental entities. He is a Highland resident and currently serves on the Highland Planning Commission. He is well-spoken and has great ideas on regaining public lands. On Common Core, he believes that locally-based decisions should be made on curriculum (which is currently done). He thinks there are too many education bills in the legislature every year. He doesn't pretend to be an expert in the public school system, so he would leave that to the experts at the local level. He said that in the process of making laws, it's important to understand how the implementation of those laws impact people. He feels his experience level is broader than his opponent and more relevant. He is in support of the caucus process but also feels the signature path is a good thing. He gathered signatures to guarantee a place on the primary ballot.
Mr. Carman is a small business owner and Highland resident. As a volunteer on the State Instructional Materials Commission, he has spent time evaluating textbooks and other materials for the state of Utah. He has lobbied tirelessly on both a state and a federal level for parental rights and freedom from top-down mandates, especially in education. Mr. Carman understands small business and the burdens placed on businesses at the state-level. On Common Core, Mr. Carman has been active in opposing it and trying to bring better math and English standards back to Utah. He is concerned with the amount of micro-managing of education done at the state and federal level. Mr. Carman also testified at the State Legislature in favor of a bill (that eventually passed) to prohibit the state from using SAGE scores as part of a teacher's evaluation. He supports the caucus and did not gather signatures. He recognizes that having to speak one-on-one with delegates requires a greater depth and breadth of understanding. The caucus process also allows those without lots of political backing but good ideas and principles to run for office.
My take: With the number of education bills and the large percentage of the state budget going toward education, having someone who has been instrumental in following both the federal and the state mandates in education would be very beneficial. We have too many people in the legislature who "defer to the education experts" instead of to their constituents. Too much time and money is spent at the state level trying to control education, and the "best" ideas all seem to fail and get rebranded over time. Mr. Carman has seen this revolving door multiple times and is poised against it. I recognize that not every bill is an education bill, but every bill deals with individual rights and many have a direct impact on families. Mr. Carman is very attuned to seeing the ramifications from that perspective.
County Sheriff: Jim Phelps and
Mike Smith
I voted for Officer Phelps. Both candidates gathered signatures guaranteeing them a place on the ballot.
Officer Phelps has been with the US Marshall's office and has worked extensively in Salt Lake. He has seen the problems in Salt Lake and wants to prevent them from coming to Utah County. He understands the role of sheriff is to protect individual rights but also to maintain the law. He was involved in drafting legislation to remove policing power from the Bureau of Land Management personnel in Utah. He is a strong defender of the Second Amendment, and understands the role a sheriff plays in maintaining freedom for the individuals in his purview. He is not comfortable with the strings that come from federal funds. He stated his first act as sheriff will be to request an audit before recommending whether to request an increase in the budget or not.
Chief Smith is the Chief of Police in Pleasant Grove City. He is involved in many community policing activities, including a citizens' academy that trains citizens as police officers and allows them to simulate police calls. He also advocates for a program where individual officers are assigned to specific areas and are asked to take a more personal interest in that part of the community. While I think these things are good things, I am unsure that they are that necessary in Utah County. Chief Smith would advocate for an increase in the budget with the County Commissioners. When asked about taking federal money with federal strings, his response was that federal grants pay for the officers' vests and that it's important that tax money that we all pay and send to DC comes back to be used at home, e.g. the vests.
County Commission, Seat A: Tanner Ainge and
Tom Sakievich
I voted for Mr. Sakievich.
Mr. Ainge ran for Congress this past year. He is very well organized. He took the initiative to meet with the heads of all the county departments and find out their issues when he decided to run. He is enthusiastic and very capable. He wants to change legislation to allow for greater property taxes to come to the locals in order to keep up with inflation. He is in favor of a county tax increase. Mr. Ainge gathered signatures to guarantee a place on the primary ballot.
Mr. Sakievich is a retired Marine Corps veteran and spent time involved in a restructuring plan for the Corps that saved many millions of dollars. He is very concerned with fiscal spending and thinks there may be ways to restructure and become more efficient. He felt one of the best ways to handle Utah County's growth is to work with the mayors and city councils in coordination. Most of the growth in the County is under their jurisdiction. So, the commission is in more of a coordinating position. He is generally opposed to giving tax incentives in a growing community. Mr. Sakeivich did not gather signatures.
County Attorney: Chad Grunander and
David Leavitt
I voted for Mr. Leavitt.
Mr. Grunander currently works in the County Attorney's office. He understands the ins and outs of things as they are currently run. He has a tough on crime attitude. When asked why the County Attorney position was a partisan, elected position, he said it was because it was constitutional, but wasn't sure it should be elected and didn't think it should be partisan. He stipulated that just because it is a partisan office doesn't mean people are targeted based on politics. (This is a good thing to hear.) One of the concerns with the current County Attorney's office is the allegation that they charge for crimes at a level higher than the crime deserves and plea it down. This increases the amount of convictions, if true. I have some evidence to believe this occurs. How often, I do not know.
Mr. Leavitt used to be the Juab County Attorney. He is focused on not just the prosecutorial side of the attorney's office but also the civil advisory side, as the attorney for every elected official or board in the county. He explained that as an elected official, his job is to serve the people of this county, and even if you are arrested and charged with a crime, he is still your servant. Being your servant, he may still need to prosecute you, but you should not be treated disparagingly. He commented that the judicial system exists to protect the people from a tyrannical executive, and juries exist to protect the people from a tyrannical judiciary.
I am grateful to you for electing me to serve in this capacity, to vet these candidates and to report back to you. I am convinced that we get better candidates when they have to face average citizens and answer questions about their principles and their desire to serve.
Wendy Hart, Precinct Chair
