The faces at the top of the Utah County power structure are likely to change, but most of the faces of those aiding them won't.
Utah County Commissioners Malcolm Beck and Richard Johnson, who lost out in their re-election attempts in the June 28 Republican primary, filed for last-minute write-in bids a week before Tuesday's election, leaving them with an uphill struggle to regain office.Republicans Jerry Grover and David Gardner, who defeated Beck and Johnson, respectively, won their party's nod. Independent candidate Jim Larsen will face Gardner for Commission Seat B, while Democrat Tom Anderson will oppose Grover in the Seat A competition.
Commission Seat A
- Jerry Grover, 31, is a senior environmental engineer at Geneva Steel. He said he is running to get Utah County's problems discussed and finally solved.
"I'm not here to become a professional politician," Grover said. "As a resident of the state I try to keep myself informed. And as a resident in a democracy, I believe that people should be encouraged to run for office."
- Tom Anderson, 59, owns Alpine Park Realty in Alpine and is serving the third year of a four-year term on the Alpine City Council.
"I understand growth and building," said Anderson, who calls himself a fiscal conservative and a preservationist. "That knowledge and experience is needed to maintain our quality of life. Power has to remain in the cities. The county is there to help them preserve and beautify."
Commission Seat B
- David Gardner, 39, is the treatment coordinator for adult psychiatry at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. He said he is a professionally trained listener and problem solver.
"Having treated families and individuals, I've seen the problems they face and think we all need to face," Gardner said. "On that level, I really think I can represent Utah County."
- Jim Larsen, 46, manages the family owned Larsen Auto Co. in Provo. He said he is running to provide a change from party-oriented politics.
"I want to vote on an issue because that's the way people want me to vote, rather than vote just because it's the way I'm supposed to vote," Larsen said. "I don't want to be accountable to a political party, just to the people I'm supposed to represent."
Other county offices
In seven other county races, only one four-year position will feature competition.
Randy Covington, who works in the county recorder's office, is opposed by Joan Hill, who co-owns a business in Provo. Each hopes to fill the vacancy created by Nina Reid, who decided not to seek re-election as county recorder.
Covington, a Republican, hopes to continue projects begun under Reid's tenure, while Hill, a Democrat, would like to bring more accountability to the public.