Successful State Convention 2018

Successful State Convention 2018

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2018's state convention provided an atmosphere of agreement and progress towards a better political future for Utah. 

In a time of so much political divide and discord, it was refreshing to join with fellow Utah voters and feel excitement and hope for the future.  It is no small thing to turn the tide of "politics as usual" and those who support the United Utah Party are no ordinary people.  It takes courage and grit to support something in its beginnings.

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United Utah Party delegates unanimously supported two changes to the United Utah Party Constitution:

Article III, Section 7 - There shall be an annual state convention at such time and place as the state executive committee shall determine during the months of April or May of each calendar year, or, if necessary, at an alternative time the executive committee determines based on the State’s electoral deadline for the nomination of candidates during the given year.  Any voter registered as a member of the United Utah Party is automatically considered a delegate to the annual convention.  Notice of conventions shall be made as provided in the By- laws. Notice of the results of convention decisions, including election of officers, will be placed on the party website within seven days of the convention.

Article III, Section 13 (new section) - The Party may publish an official party platform, which articulates the values and certain positions held by the Party as a whole. In principle, the Party will seek a platform that is minimalist in its approach to holding positions on specific policy issues or legislative approaches. The party platform should focus more on principles rather than specific positions whenever feasible.

No party member will be required to endorse the platform, and no political loyalty tests, or anything resembling one, may be enacted on party members or candidates by party leadership.

Any official Party platform published must be approved by party delegates during the state convention.

Proposed changes to the party platform must be submitted to the executive committee at least 30 days prior to the state convention.  In order for a platform change to be approved by the executive committee for transmission to the state convention delegates, it must be proposed by at least 40 registered party members.  

Any such proposed changes will be published by the Party prior to the state convention in order to give delegates ample time to consider the revisions before casting their vote at the convention.

On odd-numbered years, the State Party Chair will convene a platform revision committee at least three months prior to the anticipated state convention. Together with the State Chair, this committee will establish a transparent and inclusive process for soliciting proposed changes or alterations to the platform, which will in turn become recommendations for platform changes to be presented for sustaining vote at the state convention. Recommendations made by the platform revision committee must be supported by 2/3 of the committee in order to be presented at the state convention.

In order for any proposed change to the platform to be enacted after the state convention, whether proposed by the platform revision committee or with the endorsement of at least 40 registered party members, two-thirds (66.67%) of delegates present at the convention must vote in favor of the proposed platform change.

If the proposed platform revision is presented with endorsement of 40 registered party members, then delegates will be given three options: yea, nay, or defer to the next platform revision committee. While two-thirds will still be needed to sustain any platform change, if a simple majority of voters support referring the proposed revision to the platform revision committee, then that committee will consider the proposed change and present it in some form during the subsequent odd-numbered year’s convention.

Delegates also officially nominated four candidates; Eric Eliason (Congressional District 1), Jan Garbett (Congressional District 2), Melanie McCoard (Congressional District 3), Cathy Callow Huesser (State Senate 26).  For more information on these and other United Utah Party candidates, check out our candidates page!

On the Monday following the convention, these candidates along with all other state and county level candidates were verified by the Lt. Governor's office, meaning all 19 of our candidates are now officially certified for the November election!!

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A big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers who made our 2018 state convention a success!