As you all know, the UUP has been organizing for this election year for many months.   But the election campaign will not begin for voters until at least September.  As we begin this campaign to elect our candidates, it may be a good time to pause and consider what has been accomplished.

Our success in such a short time should be a cause of celebration for Uniters.  One measure of that success is the number of candidates we have running on our ticket this year.  Even though we are barely a year old, we have more candidates running than any other non-major party in Utah.  That includes parties that have been in existence for many years such as the Constitution Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Independent American Party. 

Our 18 candidate numbers also far exceed what other similar parties (all of whom are older than we are) have done in other states.  The Independent Party of Oregon is fielding 10 candidates for state and federal offices.  The American Party (a centrist alternative in South Carolina) has nine candidates running for various positions.  The Moderate Party in Rhode Island has three. 

If you are looking for a polished politician running for Congress, don't look for Tim Zeidner.  That's just not him.  

Tim is just your ordinary citizen wanting to make a difference in how Washington operates.  He is tired of the constant bickering and the political postering without any real effort to reach compromised, principled solutions.  He is tired of the incivility pouring out of Washington and would do his part to focus on the important issues at hand.

Not that he doesn't understand the issues.  Tim is the director of research and evaluation at the Missionary Training Center in Provo.  He has a Ph.D in educational policy, leadership and organizational theory from Vanderbilt University. He knows his stuff.  

Tim is running to represent Utah in the 3rd Congressional District, shown in blue.  So, if you live in places like Orem, Provo, Springville, Spanish Fork, Price, Castle Dale, Moab, and Monticello, join in to support Tim and choose him on your ballot.  

Tim felt disenfranchised by the major parties and wanted to find another path.  Not just a middle path but a way that would focus on reforming the process, debating the issues for the good of all citizens, and reaching consensus so that major problems could be resolved, not kicked down the road.  He wants to serve with gusto and sincerity and then go back to being a citizen, much like the  example set by George Washington.  

To learn more about this selfless candidate, click here.  

Hillary Stirling (Utah House District 57)

Our Hillary is sterling.  But make no mistake.  Her last name is spelled with an "i":  Stirling.

This outgoing native of Michigan came for school at BYU and never left her Utah "tropical paradise."  

She is not running just to embarrass her 13-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son.  No, she is one of those locally-involved, caring citizens who realizes that her area needs action at the state level to bring about important changes.  She became heavily involved in a Pleasant Grove ballot initiative on how to fund the city.  But that local initiative did not solve all the problems.  She would like to join the Utah House to push for solutions.  

Hillary is running in House District 57, shown below.  

If you live in that area, please get behind her.  Go to hillarystirling.com to help her efforts.  Take a look at her Facebook page.  Her goal is to represent people, not parties.  She remembers well Ronald Reagan and always considered herself a Republican.  But then, like many of us, she became politically homeless by parties that changed their stripes.  Hillary found the United Utah Party to be ideal because, although it is a political party, it is moderate and it is focused on engaging, not enraging.  Because she is not beholden to a party orthodoxy, she can pull together people of diverse viewpoints to reach good solutions.  

If you live in the area of Pleasant Grove and American Fork, look for Hillary to be knocking on your door or appearing at town hall meetings and service clubs.  Watch this to learn more about our Hillary with an "i."

To help the party elect our strong candidates, we need you to continue to