In February of this year, I was invited to join an exploratory group that called itself “Citizens for a Moderate Political Alternative”.

The United Utah Party is barely certified and already it has the potential support of a majority of Utah voters.  According to a new poll conducted by Dan Jones and Associates and commissioned by Utah Policy, 63 percent of Utah voters said they were “not very loyal to either major party and would consider voting for a qualified candidate in the [United Utah Party]."

The preliminary hearing for the lawsuit the United Utah Party is pursuing against the Lt. Governor's office was held yesterday.  Judge David Nuffer scheduled the actual hearing for July13-14. with a decision quickly after that.  The judge also used the session to pose questions about the case.  The questions to our attorneys and the state's attorneys expressed the fact that the case was not based on statute, but an executive order.  He wanted to know where the provisions of the executive order were based in statute, and he wanted to know what provisions existed in the executive order for any new party to compete.

Reluctant Elections Staff Makes it Official

SALT LAKE CITY, [June 26, 2017]-- Utahns in search of a less partisan political home may now have one — officially. After a prolonged spat with the Utah Elections Office, the United Utah Party gained certification today [Monday] to become the state’s 6th registered party.

My name is Jim Bennett, and I’ve been a loyal Republican for most of my life. But I’m not a Republican anymore.

My father, former Sen. Bob Bennett, was heartbroken to watch the Grand Old Party, the party of Lincoln and the party of Reagan, become the party of Donald Trump. So was I. That’s why I changed my party registration shortly after Trump secured the Republican nomination.

A group of concerned citizens has formed a new political party in Utah — the United Utah Party. It is a party intended to provide a home for the politically homeless. Who are these homeless? They are moderate Republicans, Democrats, and independents who are tired of the extremism of the two major parties. We are a party at the center of Utah voters.

Fox News reported on the United Utah Party lawsuit over the Utah Elections Office's refusal to allow Jim Bennett to file as a United Utah Party candidate to replace the resigning Congressman Jason Chaffetz, despite the fact that the party submitted the necessary documentation and signatures to become a qualified political party more than three weeks ago.

http://fox13now.com/2017/06/21/lawsuit-to-be-filed-against-utah-over-special-election-to-replace-chaffetz/

Deseret News reported on the lawsuit filed by the United Utah Party to get Jim Bennett on the special elections ballot. "It doesn't take 30 days to look at our constitutional bylaws," United Utah Party Chairman Richard Davis said. "These are not very lengthy. In fact, they told us informally a couple weeks ago that they had finished."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865683420/United-Utah-Party-sues-for-access-on-special-election-ballot.html

The United Utah Party held its first convention on Saturday, June 17, at Corner Canyon High School in Draper.  The convention delegates unanimously nominated Jim Bennett as the party’s candidate for the Third Congressional District special election. The Utah Elections Office denied Bennett’s application as a candidate of the party on May 26 as well as the party’s request that Bennett be allowed to file provisionally while the Utah Elections Office completed the certification of the party. The party is planning to file a lawsuit early this week to challenge the Utah Election Office’s decision.  Also, the Utah Elections Office has failed to certify the party more than three weeks after the party submitted its required paperwork and 2000 signatures, although election officials have told United Utah Party representatives unofficially that the party has met the qualifications.

Check out this Salt Lake Tribune article on United Utah Party's lawsuit to get onto the special election ballot to replace Utah's 3rd District Rep. Jason Chaffetz.

"Even as the fledgling party filed the lawsuit, United Utah Chairman Richard Davis said his group is not seeking to disrupt the special election process Gov. Gary Herbert put in place. Moreover, the party is not out to insert itself into legislators' beef with the governor over who has authority to set the rules for such an election. 'Our complaint only asks that Jim Bennett be placed on the ballot,' Davis said."

http://www.sltrib.com/home/5427855-155/united-utah-party-files-lawsuit-against