BYU NewsNet, March 26, 2008
Holly Van Woerkom 

Utah County Democrats and Republicans of House District 63, the area of East Provo primarily made up of student housing, gathered Tuesday, March 25, 2008, as did Democrats and Republicans around the state, for caucuses to select party delegates.

Several organizers of the Democrats' meeting at the Provo Library at Academy Square said they didn't expect much more than 20 or 30 people to show up, but more than 70 participants quickly filled the room.

Darren Jackson, president of the BYU Democrats, said participation in meetings like this is beneficial because it leads to the election of candidates who are more representative of citizens.

"I think the idea behind democracy is mass participation," he said. "If you want democracy, you've got to get involved."

Jackson also said he hoped students might respond to the letter this Sunday, announced in local wards, from the First Presidency of the LDS Church, which encouraged members to become active in the political process, including caucuses. The church does not support or endorse candidates from either party in any elections.

BYU NewsNet, 25 March 2008
Erica Teichert

While the rest of the United States continues to debate about Barack and Hillary, Utah County will take the first step toward choosing their local leaders in Tuesday's caucuses.

"There is nothing more important in the political process in the state of Utah than attending your caucus meeting and selecting good men and women to be delegates," said Stan Lockhard, State Republican Party chair. "We're one of just a handful of states left in this country that has a caucus system."

After years of complete Republican domination in the county, including many elections where Republicans have run unopposed, Utah County Democrats want diversity in their local politics.

"Anytime one party has a stranglehold on state politics it's a recipe for disaster," said Don Jarvis, the democratic candidate for State House District 63, which encompasses most of BYU housing. "That's what they had in Massachusetts before Mitt, and that's what we have in Utah now."

Jarvis, a former BYU professor who taught Russian from 1970 to 2004, wants to provide another choice of representation for his neighbors and BYU students who comprise almost half of his constituency.

"I have a lot of faith in BYU students," Jarvis said. "Students have been pretty much ignored here in the past. I'd like them to be involved."

Claralyn Hill, wife of Ned Hill, current dean of the Marriott School of Management, is District 62's Democrat candidate.

Boyd Petersen

Promising to return "sanity, compassion and reason" to the state Legislature, the son-in-law of Hugh Nibley announced his bid Thursday to run for public office.

Boyd Petersen said he plans to run for office as a socially conservative Democrat in District 64 against incumbent Rep. Rebecca Lockhart, R-Provo. He said he believes in a full spectrum of values, supporting life, health, education, compassion and public morality.

He also said current state politicians' agendas are incongruent with those who put them in office.

"I believe that the current Utah Valley legislators are largely out of touch with their constituency," he said.

Petersen said he will work to improve public education and provide affordable health care for all families if elected.

Petersen teaches for the honors program at Brigham Young University, as well as at Utah Valley State College. He earned a doctorate at the University of Utah in 2006.

He is also the author of an award-winning biography, titled "Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life." Nibley was the father of Petersen's wife, Zina.

Daily Herald, 28 February 2008 

Stressing that he is a native of Utah County and understands the area, Kenneth Peay announced this week that he is running for the Utah State Senate in District 13.

In his announcement, Peay, a Democrat, noted that most of the parents in his district send their children to public schools and that he supports public education.

Peay pointed to the need to manage growth effectively in the county and to cut down on crime. "Our jails are overcrowded but we can't solve our crime problems by simply locking people up." We need crime prevention measures and to use alternative treatment centers for non-violent drug abusers.

Peay also noted that the people in Utah need adequate health insurance. "We need to find a way to make health insurance affordable and available to our citizens."

The candidate also promised to reach out to all his constituents as a state senator, "As a highway patrol commander, I learned to listen to people, to use their ideas, to compromise and to come up with winning solutions for the betterment of all."

Peay is a native of south Utah County. He was born in Payson, grew up in Benjamin and graduated from Spanish Fork High School. He served three years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era and was an LDS missionary in Canada for two years.

He has a bachelors degree in psychology from BYU.

Deseret Morning News, February 27, 2008
Amy K. Stewart

PROVO — Brigham Young University's Ned C. Hill, dean of the Marriott School of Management, won't say whether he is voting for his wife, Claralyn M. Hill.

The Provo attorney announced her candidacy Tuesday as the eighth Democrat in Utah County running for the Legislature.

Ned Hill's silence is because BYU has a policy requiring its president, vice presidents and deans remain politically neutral.

Ned Hill attended his wife's press conference but remained in the background and didn't address the group of about 75 people gathered in a conference room at the Provo City Library at Academy Square.

He said he even met with BYU legal counsel prior to his wife announcing her candidacy to ensure he was abiding by the school's policy.

Summarized, BYU's political neutrality policy states:

"The essential functions of the university require strict institutional neutrality, integrity, and independence regarding partisan political activities, particularly because perceived partisanship is often interpreted as endorsement by the university's affiliated sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

One reason for the policy is to preserve the university's tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, according to the policy.

In July, Ned Hill will finish his 10 years as dean and will simply be on the faculty. At that time he plans help with his wife's campaign, unless he is told otherwise by BYU officials, he said.

Calling Chris Herrod's House seat undeserved, Claralyn Hill enters race

Salt Lake Tribune, February 27, 2008
Donald W. Meyers

PROVO - For Provo attorney Claralyn Hill, the final straw was seeing Republican Chris Herrod appointed to fill a vacant House seat even though he earned fewer votes in a GOP runoff.

However, instead of merely complaining about the secret process that allowed Herrod to take Jeff Alexander's seat last year without standing for election, Hill has decided to challenge Herrod this year.

"We need to get a little more balance," Hill said Tuesday after announcing her Democratic candidacy at the Provo City Library.

Hill, a lawyer who has previously worked as a guardian ad litem and a member of the United Way of Utah County's executive committee, said the GOP's dominance in Utah has made it less willing to listen not only to opposing voices but also to loyal constituents.

Utah Policy Daily, February 27, 2008
LaVarr Webb & Associates

Utah County Democrats are offering the strongest field of legislative candidates that I’ve seen in many years of observing Utah politics. The remarkable class of candidates reflects the strong leadership county Democratic Chair Richard Davis and Vice-Chair Larry Brown. Davis, a BYU political science professor, is showing that someone who hangs out in the ivory tower can also fight and scrap and do the nuts and bolts grassroots work so important in building a county party.

Many of the candidate recruits are prominent in their communities and have strong ties to BYU and the LDS Church. Most of them will run smart, well-organized campaigns.  While winning in overwhelmingly Republican Utah County will always be difficult for Democrats, it’s clear that GOP candidates are going to have to get out and work, for a change. Here’s a list of the current Democratic candidates, with more expected to announce over the next few weeks. The Republican incumbent in each district is also noted.