Thank you to everyone who participated at our state convention last Saturday! It was good to meet together in person again, and we are grateful for the technology that allowed so many to join and participate remotely, too. The pandemic has stretched us individually and as a party, and being able to be even more inclusive is one of its few silver linings.

One of the exciting things our delegates were able to do was vote on whether or not the party should endorse Evan McMullin for US Senate. Because we run our own candidates, this is an extraordinary step, one we would not normally even consider, but the circumstances of this particular race are extraordinary so we put the question to our delegates. They supported endorsement by 93% to 7% (46 to 3).  I am personally very grateful to everyone who examined the pros and cons and then took the time on a Saturday morning to vote (regardless of which way they voted). This is your party, and your participation makes us stronger and better.

However, the most important business of the convention was nominating our 9 multi-county and statewide candidates. Our two congressional candidates are Jay McFarland (CD 2) and January Walker (CD 4); our candidate for state treasurer is Alan Horne; and our candidates for state legislature are Kimberly Wagner (SD 7), Dennis Roach (SD 14), Jed Nordfelt (SD 18), Tyler Peterson (SD 19), Patricia Bradford (SD 28), Cabot Nelson (HD 23), and Zeno Parry (HD 70).  These are in addition to the 15 candidates who were nominated in their county conventions. (You can learn more about them below.)

With the state convention completed, all 24 of our candidates have now been officially nominated and will be on the November ballot. The race is on for each and every one of them!

These are great candidates, and they need your help to be successful. They are your champions, stepping into the public eye and giving of their time and heart so that you and all other moderates in our state can have a voice and a vote. I encourage you to learn about the candidates in your area; reach out to them, thank them, volunteer with them, and donate to their campaigns. (Not sure what your new districts are? You can find the state legislature ones at https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict2022.jsp and the congressional ones at https://citygate.utleg.gov/legdistricting/comments/plan/156/12) Help these bold candidates build a movement that can carry them to victory!

This is a particularly exciting year for moderates in Utah, so again, get involved however you can. Our communities, our state, and the constitutional ties that bind us together are worth the effort. Together, let’s make Utah even better!