Dems hope to balance Utah's government

Sunday, December 14, 2003

Dems hope to balance Utah's government

By JANE ZHANG
jzhang@thespectrum.com
Jud Burkett/The Spectrum


ST. GEORGE -- With a full window view of running foothills and a green driving range, the group of 61 conversed over a lunch meal of ham, green beans and mashed potato. On each round table, a white foam cup marked for cash donations stood among glasses of sweet fruit deserts.

Welcome to the Democrats of Southern Utah's monthly meeting on a Saturday, said Kyle Pasley, Washington County representative for the state Democratic Party. Your attendance, he quipped, helped "balance the Republicans on the golf course."

Of course, the Democrats -- the self-proclaimed "endangered species" in predominantly Republican Southern Utah -- are seeking to strike a political balance not for a weekend turnout at the Bloomington Country Club, but for representation on the state Capitol and Capitol Hill.

Clutching two donation checks to a microphone, Donald Dunn, chairman of Utah State Democratic Party, said the party aims to gain the governorship, six seats in the House and three seats in the Senate in 2004, which will make Democrats one third of the state Legislature.

"We are looking forward to kicking some elephants in 2004," Dunn said. "This election will change the dynamics of Utah." (snip/...)

http://www.thespectrum.com/news/stories/20031214/localnews/36756.html

I visit there a couple times a year. I'm going for two weeks next week. I'm going to be sure to venture to a more conservative area (that's putting it very lightly) such as Provo. Salt Lake City seems like it has a great progressive and lesbian/gay component. Abortion is a big deal, and in most of the state, both the parties are against it being legal, or at least try to appear like they are. In some southern Utah counties, Clinton came in fourth place in 1992, behind Bush, Perot, and extreme-rightist Bo Gritz! The GOP governor was booed in Utah County, near Provo, for being a "liberal." Guns are legal on public school grounds. Weird stuff...