Politics can be discouraging, but the alternative is to give up and, as passionate moderates, that’s just not an option for us. Persistence is woven into Utah’s social fabric, and we’re good at playing the long game.

It can work both ways. In 2018, four initiatives made it to the ballot and three passed; in the intervening years, the legislature has gutted each one. In 2019, the legislature passed an unpopular tax reform bill in a December special session that was repealed under threat of referendum. The legislature passed it piecemeal instead.

On April 29th, we’ll be voting on the party platform at the UUP convention. Ahead of that, we’re deliberating on possible edits and updates. To make this process transparent and responsive, we are requesting input from all those interested in the future of the party. If there are questions or issues you think the platform should address, please send that feedback to [email protected].

As you consider input you’d like to give please keep in mind the following guidelines:

The UUP is focused on the process by which our laws are made. We believe that good government requires transparency, fairness, and a robust and civil debate. We believe that public policy should ultimately reflect the will of the people. We don’t require candidates or members to agree on all important issues. That’s why we don’t, as a party, take rigid sides on most issues. Candidates can take sides, members should too, but the party doesn’t have a litmus test.

The UUP is not ideological. We ask instead that people come to the political process with good will and good faith. Being a Uniter means doing the listening and the hard work required to find common ground. We persuade when we can, extend a hand of friendship when we cannot, and we respect the voice of the people either way.

That is what sets us apart from all other political parties. Edits and updates to our platform must reflect this focus.

What an election night! Our excellent candidates, along with their staff and volunteers, worked hard for months to give Utah voters a viable alternative to divisive and extreme politics. I personally and the party as a whole are grateful for their service, dedication, and willingness to step up and represent. While we would have loved to see all of those candidates bring home that magical “50% plus one,” we are that much closer to achieving victory thanks to their efforts.

We’re in the final stretch with less than one week until polls close and the future of our representation for the next two to six years is decided. Of all the different ways we can be politically involved in this country, voting is absolutely the most important!

It’s finally here—ballots began arriving this week! Instead of just one “Election Day,” vote by mail gives us a three-week “Election Window.” The ease, convenience, and opportunity for voters to become informed are all great reasons we as a party support vote by mail.

The United Utah Party voted to endorse Candace Jacobson, an independent write-in candidate for Utah County Clerk. The vote took place at a special convention of party members on Saturday, October 8. "Candace is giving voters a moderate choice that they wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Hillary Stirling, United Utah Party Chair. “Utah County voters don’t have to settle for picking the lesser of two extremists."

Every election year, the UUP does a professional survey. We do this for several reasons: to learn more about which issues are important to voters, to help inform our candidates’ campaigns, and to track how awareness about the UUP has changed over time. I’d like to share some interesting results with you.

Have you ever wished for a call to adventure? In literary circles, a “call to adventure” is that exciting moment in epic stories where heroes are pulled out of their comfort zone and into the adventure that makes the story worth enjoying.

Well, here’s your call!

Last week, a leaked draft opinion indicated that the Supreme Court is inclined to overturn Roe v. Wade. To be clear, this is a draft opinion from February, not the final opinion of the court. Positions and reasoning can and do change, and so I don’t want to devote too much ink to something that is admittedly incomplete.