Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Eyre tried hard last week to convince Mike Stewart to become his running mate. Eyre must have never heard about the Salt Lake County Commission jinx, or he might not have even bothered.
The jinx is simply that no Salt Lake County commissioner has ever been elected to a higher office. They keep trying. They keep losing. And Stewart became the latest victim on Saturday.He was running against Eyre and Mike Leavitt for the Republican nomination for governor but finished third at the state convention and was eliminated from the primary.
Stewart became the third Salt Lake County commissioner to run for governor and lose. The others were John Preston Creer in 1976 and Lamont B. Gunderson in 1956.
Two commissioners ran for Congress and lost: Tom Shimizu in 1986 and Ralph Y. McClure in 1974.
Two commissioners ran (and lost) for lieutenant governor/secretary of state: William E. Dunn in 1972 and 1976 and William G. Larson in 1960.
And one ran (and lost) for attorney general: Creer in 1968.
Commissioners haven't done too well in running for lower office either.
One lost a race for the Granite District School Board: William L. Hutchinson in 1984. One lost a race for county sheriff: Pete Kutulas in 1979. One lost a race for the Salt Lake City Commission: Larson in 1963. And three lost comeback attempts to the County Commission: Gunderson in 1968, Larson in 1976 and Kutulas in 1986.
Only four commissioners have ever managed to win any office after leaving the commission.
Shimizu made a one-term comeback to the County Commission in 1988. Lawrence A. Jones was elected to three terms as Salt Lake City auditor (an office that no longer exists). Ray P. Greenwood was elected to two terms as mayor of Murray. and Adiel F. Stewart (Mike Stewart's uncle) was elected mayor of Salt Lake City in 1955.
Why is it so hard for commissioners to move up the political ladder? It is probably because being a commissioner is one of the toughest political jobs around.
A commissioner is part legislator and part administrator. He helps make the laws and is responsible for implementing them.
A commissioner doesn't have the political luxury of a member of Congress, who can blame the president for not implementing laws and leadership better. Nor can he, like the president, blame Congress for not following him.
Commissioners have no one to blame but themselves. That can be tough on political careers.
On top of that, they oversee such things as parks and recreation, garbage collection, jails and mental health - all of which people are never quite satisfied with no matter how well the job is done.
In previous assignments, I covered Mike Stewart for four years. He is as good as any commissioner ever has been. He is informed. He cares. He's smart (he has a doctorate and was a university professor). He made some tough and some innovative decisions. But he still finished third in a three-man race for governor.
Eyre still tried hard to convince Stewart to be his running mate, but Stewart declined. Considering the jinx, Eyre should be glad.