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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.
Legislative District Chair Dean Sanpei estimated there were about 250 people in attendance at the Republicans' meeting, which was at Wasatch Elementary School.
"We need more people at this level, at the caucus level," he said. "We have 250 people here tonight, but they represent 15,000 voters. When voters don't show up to caucuses, the delegates don't represent what people think."
Sanpei said because of the strong Republican presence in Utah, the Republican nominee frequently wins, so "the delegates have quite a bit of influence in who gets elected."
Caucuses like these are used to select delegates - two for each of the 10 precincts in the district - who are then responsible for choosing the state House representatives for the primaries.
At the Republican meeting for Precinct 36 of state House District 63, citizens hoping to be delegates spoke of their qualifications, and even told a few jokes.
At the Democratic meeting, which included all precincts of House District 63, candidate Don Jarvis spoke about common misconceptions about Democrats, particularly the idea that "good Mormons can't be Democrats." He commended the BYU Democrats for being the largest student Democrat club in the state, and cited the need for increased student involvement in the election process because more than half of the district includes students.
Jarvis said he and other Democratic candidates "will have to do a lot of hard work" to win against incumbent competitors, including Rep. Curt Bramble (R-Provo), who has been in office for eight years. Jarvis said he hopes to bring ethical reform to the legislature, as well as promote education, affordable health care and environmental stewardship.
Legislative District Chair George Handley, a BYU humanities professor, who conducted the Democratic meeting, said the "one-party system" of Utah is "absolutely devastating" and has compromised the quality of decisions being made. However, he expressed a desire for Democrats to avoid "griping against Republicans."
"I think what is productive for us is to think constructively, about what we can do to make this county and this state function more effectively" he said. |
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