Utah Democratic Party Statement On Brad Wilson’s Resignation As House Speaker
SALT LAKE CITY, September 18, 2023 –– Following the announcement by House Speaker Brad Wilson that he will be resigning from his position effective November 15th, presumably to focus on his campaign for U.S. Senate, Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis released the following statement:
“In his time as Speaker of the House, Brad Wilson and the GOP supermajority have overseen some of the most divisive and partisan legislation in the history of our state. From brutally gerrymandering our districts, to pushing through school vouchers, to relentlessly attacking trans kids, to ripping reproductive freedom away from thousands of Utah women, Wilson’s record, and the record of the Utah Republican Party, is one of right-wing extremism. As he embarks on a campaign for Senate, we will continue to remind Utahns of that record.”
GOOD
Charles G Goode
Oct 16, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Ben Anderson, Communications DirectorPhone: +1 (801) 830-0645 Email: press@utdem.org
SALT LAKE CITY, August 16, 2023 –– Today, Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis released the following statement on the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act becoming law:
“One year ago, President Biden and Democrats beat Big Pharma and ultra-wealthy special interests to pass the Inflation Reduction Act — despite every single Republican from Utah voting against it.
“The legislation is doing exactly what it promised: lowering health care and prescription drug costs for families, bringing new jobs to our communities, and spurring crucial investments in clean energy that will continue to deliver for future generations of Utahns. The progress we’ve made is all at stake in 2024 as MAGA Republicans pledge to roll back the historic legislation and increase costs on middle-class families. That’s why it’s so important that we send President Biden and Vice President Harris back to the White House next year to finish the job and elect Democrats up and down the ballot who will protect and build on the progress we’ve made.”
Here’s how the Inflation Reduction Act is delivering for Utahns:
427,600 seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries in Utah will save money on prescription drug costs because of President Biden’s caps on out-of-pocket prescription drug and insulin costs, free vaccines, inflation rebates, and drug price negotiation program.
In 2021, there were already 43,452 Utah workers employed in clean energy jobs. The Inflation Reduction Act is expanding those job opportunities, bringing an estimated $1 billion of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to Utah between now and 2030.
Hardworking Utah families will receive $101.1 million in home energy rebates to help cut their energy costs by weatherizing their homes and replacing old appliances with more efficient models.
Manufacturers employ 145,300 workers in Utah, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help us make the technologies of the future at home — supporting local economies and strengthening supply chains.
Utah is home to 313,590 small businesses, representing 99.3% of all businesses in the state, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help them save money through tax credits to support energy efficiency improvements that deliver lower utility bills.
The Inflation Reduction Act will make it easier and cheaper for Utahns to purchase an electric vehicle, with upfront discounts for new and used EVs, helping middle-class Americans skip the gas pump and save on fuel costs.
The Inflation Reduction Act will significantly reduce pollution, helping Utah not only avoid costly climate impacts from more extreme weather, but also improve local air quality.
The Inflation Reduction Act supports climate-smart agriculture practices, which will help Utah’s 17,900 farms lead on climate solutions and reward their stewardship.
The Inflation Reduction Act will upgrade affordable housing, helping thousands of Utahns boost resilience in the face of intensifying extreme weather.
Every 4 years, each of the 57 State & Territory Democratic Parties craft our Delegate Selection Plan for the Democratic National Convention. This plan shares how Democrats in that state will be chosen to represent their state at the Democratic National Convention, where our Presidential & Vice Presidential nominees are chosen for the general election, and where we approve the national Democratic Party Platform.
Utah has prepared our DRAFT 2024 Plan, which is open for public feedback until April 30th at 5pm! (30 days). Once feedback has been reviewed and integrated into the plan, the Utah Democratic Party will approve this plan, and submit it plan to the Democratic National Committee for approval. On this page you will find our draft plan, the feedback form, handouts about the plan, and information on trainings. Once the plan is approved this page will be updated to show how to run to be a Delegate!
You can view the draft plan HERE.
You can find the feedback submission form HERE.
GOOD
Guest
Jan 28, 2023
2023-01-21 SOUTHERN UTAH REGIONAL DEMOCRATS MEETING IN CEDAR CITY
SCHUYLER RHODES: SERVING THE GENERAL WELFARE - Public Service in Iron County - Agenda for the Day – Jan 21, 2023
10:00 am Gathering Time: Grab a Cup of Coffee or Tea and a Donut and Meet some New Folks!
Introductions by our gracious host Schuyler Rhodes (who is running for Iron County Chair this year)
10:30 am Welcome: Glenn Little, Chair of Iron County Democrats.
Glenn welcomed everyone and reminded us that recruiting Democrats to run in 2023 is going to be difficult. He commented that we need 1000 copies of young candidates like Dallas Guymon.
Chuck Goode, Chair of Washington County Dems
Chuck agrees with Glenn that we need to appeal to young people, rather than trying to appeal to Republicans. The demographics in Utah are changing quickly toward younger voters. Chuck feels optimistic about our 2023 recruitment efforts.
10:40 am A Call to Public Service: “The General Welfare” of Iron County.
Lori Taylor, Chair of the Information Technology Committee and serving today in her former position as Chair of the Candidate Recruitment Sub-Committee and standing in for current chair, Terri Goodall.
Lori recommended that we look for candidates using a new approach – finding “natural leaders”. She pointed out that we have people all around us who already serve the general welfare including the people in this room. We should look for people volunteering for the PTA or their HOA or many other community non-profits. When you are already serving as a leader, moving into public office is easier.
11:00 am Running for Office: A Panel Discussion Moderated by Lori Taylor.
(Panelists: Robert Ford, Dallas Guymon, Kael Weston, Nick Mitchell (on zoom), Rebecca Winsor, Chuck Goode, Scott Phillips)
Lori asked each panelist some opening questions: to describe the moment when they decided to run for office, what their best and worst experiences were, and to give feedback about lessons learned.
ROBERT FORD – Stick with the issues that you know about. As an environmentalist consulting with foreign countries and designing water infrastructure systems, I actually was called by my opponent to get my advice after the election.
DALLAS GUYMON – Stand up for your beliefs with an aggressive but polite attitude. You must be yourself. Young people have new ideas that the other side needs to hear.
KAEL WESTON – The greatest story that we can tell is the one about American Democracy. Our system of democracy has a proud history from Thomas Jefferson. The Democratic Party is the oldest political party and has stood the test of time.
NICK MITCHELL – Democrats are a good party with good results when we work together as a team. Each candidate needs a close relationship with the state resources. Ideally, a state person would be assigned to each candidate.
REBECCA WINSOR – I was very apprehensive about never having run for office or having any political experience, but I had many years of life experience. My greatest takeaway was after we finished the public debate and I realized, “I can do this!”. (Ila Fica who was not able to attend this meeting had the exact same feeling after her debate.)
CHUCK GOODE – Politics is about seeing our societal struggle with poverty and then working to improve people’s lives. We must develop a thick skin for those who only criticize. Young people are bold to act with the most urgency. They are accepting of science and of our diversity which gives us our strength. We can be elected even with a D after our name.
SCOTT PHILLIPS – I am an elected official and have won in a nonpartisan race. I have experienced the situation like Chuck where the most qualified candidate doesn’t win because of that D after their name. Finally, you develop a brand name where people know and respect and vote for you regardless of your party. You must be honest and be yourself.
1:00 pm What Public Service Looks Like in Iron County: An Overview of Offices and Responsibilities
Scott Philips and Kathy Long gave an excellent review of elected offices in Iron County and their terms and responsibilities.
1:45 pm Organizing on Campus: Dallas Guymon and Jakob Gertner
Dallas described the situation at SUU where their Young Democrats club has nearly disappeared. He explained that it is difficult to start a club, but that it is even harder to keep the leadership going because of turnover due to graduation. There is a constant need to recruit new members.
2:30 pm A Word from State Party Recruitment Chair, Terry Goodall
Lori Taylor (who was standing in for Terri) reported that we will be using the “Contest Every Race” program again this year to recruit local candidates. This effort uses text messaging to ask registered voters if they would consider running for office so that no incumbent is running unopposed. We found Rebecca Winsor using this method in Washington County.
2:50 pm. Cookie Break
3:00 pm A Word from State Party staff person Talin Hansen
Talin explained that he supports the Municipal Races and Candidates throughout the state. His current task is to identify every open seat in our local 2023 elections. He showed a huge spreadsheet for each county in the state that he is manually completing. This will save the counties a ton of time and really help us to Contest Every Race. Talin estimated that this information would be emailed to the counties within two weeks.
3:15 pm. A Word from DNC (Kathy Long)
Kathy is our State Treasurer. She gave the latest update on our financial reporting.
4:00 pm Questions and Queries…..Have you ever seen yourself serving the common good through Elective office?
A lively discussion about the reasons for hesitation in running for office was led by Lori and Schuyler and Chair Diane Lewis. Many people expressed their concerns such as personal exposure, public speaking, media confrontations and, sometimes, the real dangers of running. The former candidates provided reassurances that these fears can be overcome by focusing on the goals of why you are running. Keep your eyes on the people you are trying to help. This relieves your fears and gives you the realization that “I can do this”. The challenge of living your life is the same as being a candidate.
5:00 pm. Adjournment
TAKEAWAYS:
WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM THESE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS SHARED BY OUR PAST CANDIDATES. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THESE REGIONAL MEETINGS SHOULD CONTINUE WITH REGIONAL COUNTIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE
WHEN COUNTIES COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER AND THE STATE PARTY, WE ARE ALL MORE EFFECTIVE
Respectfully submitted by Chuck Goode, Washington County Democratic Party Chair
GOOD
Guest
Jan 26, 2023
WELCOME TO THE UTAH DEMS COUNTIES WEBSITE!
Feel free to add your ideas to this collaborative discussion. You can choose to reply to any comment to start a conversation.
Please publish as a guest and sign your name so we know who is speaking. Thanks, Chuck Goode
Utah Democratic Party Statement On Brad Wilson’s Resignation As House Speaker
SALT LAKE CITY, September 18, 2023 –– Following the announcement by House Speaker Brad Wilson that he will be resigning from his position effective November 15th, presumably to focus on his campaign for U.S. Senate, Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis released the following statement:
“In his time as Speaker of the House, Brad Wilson and the GOP supermajority have overseen some of the most divisive and partisan legislation in the history of our state. From brutally gerrymandering our districts, to pushing through school vouchers, to relentlessly attacking trans kids, to ripping reproductive freedom away from thousands of Utah women, Wilson’s record, and the record of the Utah Republican Party, is one of right-wing extremism. As he embarks on a campaign for Senate, we will continue to remind Utahns of that record.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Ben Anderson, Communications DirectorPhone: +1 (801) 830-0645 Email: press@utdem.org
SALT LAKE CITY, August 16, 2023 –– Today, Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis released the following statement on the anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act becoming law:
“One year ago, President Biden and Democrats beat Big Pharma and ultra-wealthy special interests to pass the Inflation Reduction Act — despite every single Republican from Utah voting against it.
“The legislation is doing exactly what it promised: lowering health care and prescription drug costs for families, bringing new jobs to our communities, and spurring crucial investments in clean energy that will continue to deliver for future generations of Utahns. The progress we’ve made is all at stake in 2024 as MAGA Republicans pledge to roll back the historic legislation and increase costs on middle-class families. That’s why it’s so important that we send President Biden and Vice President Harris back to the White House next year to finish the job and elect Democrats up and down the ballot who will protect and build on the progress we’ve made.”
Here’s how the Inflation Reduction Act is delivering for Utahns:
427,600 seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries in Utah will save money on prescription drug costs because of President Biden’s caps on out-of-pocket prescription drug and insulin costs, free vaccines, inflation rebates, and drug price negotiation program.
In 2021, there were already 43,452 Utah workers employed in clean energy jobs. The Inflation Reduction Act is expanding those job opportunities, bringing an estimated $1 billion of investment in large-scale clean power generation and storage to Utah between now and 2030.
Hardworking Utah families will receive $101.1 million in home energy rebates to help cut their energy costs by weatherizing their homes and replacing old appliances with more efficient models.
Manufacturers employ 145,300 workers in Utah, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help us make the technologies of the future at home — supporting local economies and strengthening supply chains.
Utah is home to 313,590 small businesses, representing 99.3% of all businesses in the state, and the Inflation Reduction Act will help them save money through tax credits to support energy efficiency improvements that deliver lower utility bills.
The Inflation Reduction Act will make it easier and cheaper for Utahns to purchase an electric vehicle, with upfront discounts for new and used EVs, helping middle-class Americans skip the gas pump and save on fuel costs.
The Inflation Reduction Act will significantly reduce pollution, helping Utah not only avoid costly climate impacts from more extreme weather, but also improve local air quality.
The Inflation Reduction Act supports climate-smart agriculture practices, which will help Utah’s 17,900 farms lead on climate solutions and reward their stewardship.
The Inflation Reduction Act will upgrade affordable housing, helping thousands of Utahns boost resilience in the face of intensifying extreme weather.
2024 NATIONAL DELEGATE SELECTION PLAN
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18zUVQ2HDraph7-FpF1ZUtAEyxbd5Ag8mVmGztnGKwzU/edit
2024 National Delegate Selection Plan
Every 4 years, each of the 57 State & Territory Democratic Parties craft our Delegate Selection Plan for the Democratic National Convention. This plan shares how Democrats in that state will be chosen to represent their state at the Democratic National Convention, where our Presidential & Vice Presidential nominees are chosen for the general election, and where we approve the national Democratic Party Platform.
Utah has prepared our DRAFT 2024 Plan, which is open for public feedback until April 30th at 5pm! (30 days). Once feedback has been reviewed and integrated into the plan, the Utah Democratic Party will approve this plan, and submit it plan to the Democratic National Committee for approval. On this page you will find our draft plan, the feedback form, handouts about the plan, and information on trainings. Once the plan is approved this page will be updated to show how to run to be a Delegate!
You can view the draft plan HERE.
You can find the feedback submission form HERE.
2023-01-21 SOUTHERN UTAH REGIONAL DEMOCRATS MEETING IN CEDAR CITY
SCHUYLER RHODES: SERVING THE GENERAL WELFARE - Public Service in Iron County - Agenda for the Day – Jan 21, 2023
10:00 am Gathering Time: Grab a Cup of Coffee or Tea and a Donut and Meet some New Folks!
Introductions by our gracious host Schuyler Rhodes (who is running for Iron County Chair this year)
10:30 am Welcome: Glenn Little, Chair of Iron County Democrats.
Glenn welcomed everyone and reminded us that recruiting Democrats to run in 2023 is going to be difficult. He commented that we need 1000 copies of young candidates like Dallas Guymon.
Chuck Goode, Chair of Washington County Dems
Chuck agrees with Glenn that we need to appeal to young people, rather than trying to appeal to Republicans. The demographics in Utah are changing quickly toward younger voters. Chuck feels optimistic about our 2023 recruitment efforts.
10:40 am A Call to Public Service: “The General Welfare” of Iron County.
Lori Taylor, Chair of the Information Technology Committee and serving today in her former position as Chair of the Candidate Recruitment Sub-Committee and standing in for current chair, Terri Goodall.
Lori recommended that we look for candidates using a new approach – finding “natural leaders”. She pointed out that we have people all around us who already serve the general welfare including the people in this room. We should look for people volunteering for the PTA or their HOA or many other community non-profits. When you are already serving as a leader, moving into public office is easier.
11:00 am Running for Office: A Panel Discussion Moderated by Lori Taylor.
(Panelists: Robert Ford, Dallas Guymon, Kael Weston, Nick Mitchell (on zoom), Rebecca Winsor, Chuck Goode, Scott Phillips)
Lori asked each panelist some opening questions: to describe the moment when they decided to run for office, what their best and worst experiences were, and to give feedback about lessons learned.
ROBERT FORD – Stick with the issues that you know about. As an environmentalist consulting with foreign countries and designing water infrastructure systems, I actually was called by my opponent to get my advice after the election.
DALLAS GUYMON – Stand up for your beliefs with an aggressive but polite attitude. You must be yourself. Young people have new ideas that the other side needs to hear.
KAEL WESTON – The greatest story that we can tell is the one about American Democracy. Our system of democracy has a proud history from Thomas Jefferson. The Democratic Party is the oldest political party and has stood the test of time.
NICK MITCHELL – Democrats are a good party with good results when we work together as a team. Each candidate needs a close relationship with the state resources. Ideally, a state person would be assigned to each candidate.
REBECCA WINSOR – I was very apprehensive about never having run for office or having any political experience, but I had many years of life experience. My greatest takeaway was after we finished the public debate and I realized, “I can do this!”. (Ila Fica who was not able to attend this meeting had the exact same feeling after her debate.)
CHUCK GOODE – Politics is about seeing our societal struggle with poverty and then working to improve people’s lives. We must develop a thick skin for those who only criticize. Young people are bold to act with the most urgency. They are accepting of science and of our diversity which gives us our strength. We can be elected even with a D after our name.
SCOTT PHILLIPS – I am an elected official and have won in a nonpartisan race. I have experienced the situation like Chuck where the most qualified candidate doesn’t win because of that D after their name. Finally, you develop a brand name where people know and respect and vote for you regardless of your party. You must be honest and be yourself.
12 Noon Lunch
After lunch, Chuck shared a video dispelling the common fears about becoming a candidate. You can watch this at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkNsRjtO32s&t=322s
1:00 pm What Public Service Looks Like in Iron County: An Overview of Offices and Responsibilities
Scott Philips and Kathy Long gave an excellent review of elected offices in Iron County and their terms and responsibilities.
1:45 pm Organizing on Campus: Dallas Guymon and Jakob Gertner
Dallas described the situation at SUU where their Young Democrats club has nearly disappeared. He explained that it is difficult to start a club, but that it is even harder to keep the leadership going because of turnover due to graduation. There is a constant need to recruit new members.
2:30 pm A Word from State Party Recruitment Chair, Terry Goodall
Lori Taylor (who was standing in for Terri) reported that we will be using the “Contest Every Race” program again this year to recruit local candidates. This effort uses text messaging to ask registered voters if they would consider running for office so that no incumbent is running unopposed. We found Rebecca Winsor using this method in Washington County.
2:50 pm. Cookie Break
3:00 pm A Word from State Party staff person Talin Hansen
Talin explained that he supports the Municipal Races and Candidates throughout the state. His current task is to identify every open seat in our local 2023 elections. He showed a huge spreadsheet for each county in the state that he is manually completing. This will save the counties a ton of time and really help us to Contest Every Race. Talin estimated that this information would be emailed to the counties within two weeks.
3:15 pm. A Word from DNC (Kathy Long)
Kathy is our State Treasurer. She gave the latest update on our financial reporting.
4:00 pm Questions and Queries…..Have you ever seen yourself serving the common good through Elective office?
A lively discussion about the reasons for hesitation in running for office was led by Lori and Schuyler and Chair Diane Lewis. Many people expressed their concerns such as personal exposure, public speaking, media confrontations and, sometimes, the real dangers of running. The former candidates provided reassurances that these fears can be overcome by focusing on the goals of why you are running. Keep your eyes on the people you are trying to help. This relieves your fears and gives you the realization that “I can do this”. The challenge of living your life is the same as being a candidate.
5:00 pm. Adjournment
TAKEAWAYS:
WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM THESE IMPORTANT INSIGHTS SHARED BY OUR PAST CANDIDATES. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THESE REGIONAL MEETINGS SHOULD CONTINUE WITH REGIONAL COUNTIES ALL ACROSS THE STATE
WHEN COUNTIES COLLABORATE WITH EACH OTHER AND THE STATE PARTY, WE ARE ALL MORE EFFECTIVE
Respectfully submitted by Chuck Goode, Washington County Democratic Party Chair
WELCOME TO THE UTAH DEMS COUNTIES WEBSITE!
Feel free to add your ideas to this collaborative discussion. You can choose to reply to any comment to start a conversation.
Please publish as a guest and sign your name so we know who is speaking. Thanks, Chuck Goode