I want to welcome our new candidate addition - Tim Zeidner.  Tim will be a great candidate.  He was elected by our special convention last week. 

It was heartening to listen to the three candidates for the position explain why the United Utah Party was so important, how they could contribute to making the party a political force in the state, and what they would do as a Congressional candidate.  Their words inspired me to keep going. 

Frankly, sometimes I get discouraged.  Hillary Stirling and I spoke at a civic club meeting last week and only five people from the club showed up.  Also, last week Nils Bergeson and I spoke with a prominent person in Salt Lake who is disgruntled with his current party, but, instead of joining with us, he wants to wait and see how we do in November.  (That is a common refrain we hear.)

But listening to what was said at the convention reminded me that this party is for average citizens who are fed up with politics as we know it.  The so called movers and shakers will sit back and wait.  But average voters are willing to be the pioneers to change the way government works and who it works for.

Who is this party for?  It is for people who have never affiliated with a political party because they could not find a home, but now they have one.  It is for Democrats who despair over the leftward tilt of the party and want a more moderate approach.  It is for Republicans who feel the same way about the rightward movement of their party, particularly with the nativism, incivility, and bombast of Donald Trump and his policies of exclusion, isolationism, and divisiveness. 

We have a message Utahns want.  They just need to show where they can find it.   We are launching a social media campaign to tell them.  Spread the word as well.  Word of mouth is even better than social media because it comes from someone they know or trust.  Don't be afraid to tell our message to your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

Thanks for so much you all do.

... and the Parades Just Keep on Marching

Eric Eliason

Eric Eliason (ee'-luh-son) has had his running shoes on for the 1st District spot for many months now.  He has been vocal on the radio, at campaign events, and in parades.  His excellent website has been up and running for quite a while, and his campaign is linked to Facebook.  

Eric loves the outdoors -- running, biking, backpacking.  He loves discovering new places and people.  Like us, he is tired of partisan politics.  

He likes to quote Henry Ford's thought:  "If you always do what you've always done, you always get what you've always got."  

Eric's background is impressive, varied, and down to earth, including cattle roundups and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.  

Eric recently announced that Joel Searby, the campaign manager for Evan McMullin's 2016 independent presidential bid, has joined his campaign as a senior advisor. Searby had this to say about Eric:

"Eric Eliason is exactly the kind of public servant we need in America right now. He is in this for all the right reasons and advancing all the right principles that can bring us together instead of tear us apart. I’m honored to be joining Eric’s team and know that he is going to run a professional, competitive, credible race. In fact, I have found Eric to be the most credible and serious congressional candidate in the country who is not from one of the major parties. [emphasis added]  We must break free from the unnecessary chains of partisan warfare. We must chart a new path forward in American politics. Eric’s campaign, and his ultimate victory, is a key step on that path."

Lee Davidson of the Salt Lake Tribune also sees Eric as a force to be reckoned with this year:

"Judging by campaign cash, GOP Rep. Rob Bishop’s only real competition in the 1st Congressional District race may not be from his Democratic opponent — but from a candidate in the new United Utah Party.

"The campaign of Logan businessman Eric Eliason of the UUP has $194,503 in the bank, compared with $561,444 for Bishop. Democrat Lee Castillo, of Layton, has just $734, disclosure forms show..."

Read Lee Davidson's piece on Eric's candidacy in the Salt Lake Tribune of July 20.

Eric wants Congress to be a place where America wins, not a party or a faction.  

To get to know Eric better, watch here. 

3rd District

Tim Zeidner

Tim Zeidner is our "new kid."  He replaces our original 3rd District nominee who withdrew for health reasons.  Tim was elected in a special election held on 17 July.  He owns the distinction now of being the only United Utah candidate who received the nod from the Party where there was a contest within the Party.  More people are interested in running as United Utah candidates . . . and that's a good thing.  

“I’m thrilled to be in this race and help move this party forward,” Zeidner said. “The principles of the United Utah Party represent the majority of the people of Utah, and its only a matter of times before we reach critical mass.”

Zeidner serves as the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Provo Missionary Training Center for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his wife, Annalee, are the parents of five children. 

He enters the race feeling that he has found a comfortable home:

"I have been looking for a place that aligns best with how I think and feel about our society and our choices. I believe in civility and in fairness. I detest the idea that when I vote I am told that it doesn't count or matter because of where I live. I believe in sunshine as a powerful agent for creating accountability in how we choose our leaders and how our leaders represent us. I don't believe in politics as a profession, and I believe our first president modeled for us the value of doing your part and then stepping aside. Above all, I believe in the citizen, and in our individual contributions to society. Collectively we create an essential fabric for good governance, good communities, and good places for our children to grow up and make our country a better place. If you haven't done so, I invite you to take a look at the United Utah Party platform. If you find it common-sensical and feel to dismiss it because it is so straightforward, please ask yourself if other major parties, their platforms, and their current way of doing things, remotely approaches what this platform advocates. Looking forward to a conversation and towards genuine participation."

Tim is just a week into the race.  Expect to hear more from him soon.  

Break the Gridlock

We hope that Eric and Tim can help to break the gridlock in Washington.  

State legislatures seem to be able to solve big problems and make long-term decisions, but not so Congress.  

A big part of the problem circles around rules of the House of Representatives.  In bygone days, bipartisan bills came to the floor to be debated.  Amendments were introduced and debated.  No more.  The rules, and those who know how to use them, prevent that.  The House is now a place where good bipartisan solutions go to die.  

The United Utah Party is a party of reform of the rules of the system -- fair redistricting, term limits, limits on campaign contributions, and the like.  All reasonable rule reforms.  

Now, a group of 38 House members -- who belong to the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus -- have drafted a set of House rules changes designed to open the House process to be more like what it used to be.  They call these rule changes "Break the Gridlock."  They will be introduced next January when the new Congress convenes. 

If the results of the midterm elections leave the Democrats and Republicans closely divided, this united block of 38 centrists (and others who want to join with them) could wield the kind of clout that will enable significant House reform.  

To learn more about this effort, read this. 

We Made It!

WE DID IT! We successfully raised our goal of $20,000 to help us advertise the party. A big, BIG thank you to all who helped make this possible!

There are just over 100 days left until election day 2018. We'll be increasing our advertising in those areas where we have candidates, making it more likely that we can elect practical leaders in our state and country. Please help us to continually spread the word.

But don't stop now . . . . . . . . 

Our Summer Survey

Please click here to take our summer survey!

United Utah Party