Claims of partisanship have been raised in Provo politics before, but this year they're taking a new twist.

Sherm Hislop, who is challenging incumbent Mayor Joe Jenkins, is claiming members of Jenkins' campaign staff have made use of the Utah County Republican Party in the campaign and have made telephone calls to prospective voters in which Hislop was identified as a Democrat. Hislop, however, is a Republican and served as a district chairman for the party in 1986 and 1987.Hislop said the nature of the phone calls was brought to his attention by "five or six different people who had committed to be supporters."

Wayne Watson, chairman of the Utah County Republican Party, said the party decided in a steering committee meeting on Oct. 10 that because the race is non-partisan and because both candidates are Republicans, the party would not endorse either of them.

A statement released by Watson said "financial support was never requested by nor given to either candidate. While the party voted to remain neutral, there may have been individuals who acted on their own in support of either candidate."

Watson said the party encourages individuals to become involved in political issues and races and to support the candidate of their choice. Had Hislop contacted the party for help, he would have been given the names of politically active people from whom he could have solicited support and work, Watson said.

Raylene Ireland, who is Jenkins' executive assistant and is working on his re-election campaign while on vacation from the city, said neither she nor anyone in their camp has ever said Hislop was a Democrat. Ireland said she contacted a member of the Republican Party to ask for help manning a phone bank to get the vote out for Jenkins; those who volunteered were to identify themselves not as members of the party, but as supporters of Jenkins, Ireland said.

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Turning to the party for help made sense because "it is the type of thing a lot of people feel awkward with. . . . It's a hard job. Certain groups do phone banking, and political parties are first on the list. . . . It is appropriate (to contact someone supportive of Jenkins). I won't apologize for that.

"Both the mayor and I have longtime ties to the GOP," Ireland said. "Our friendships and associations go way back. There is a difference between saying that and going out and asking for an endorsement."

Ireland said Jenkins' phone bank has not yet been started but that when it is "we won't be telling people not to vote for Sherm. We'll be telling them to vote for Joe."

Watson said that if there is a lesson to be learned from the episode it is that anyone who is a "visible party worker and requests support for any candidate in a non-partisan race should clearly indicate they are not acting in their capacity as a Republican."

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