Democrats had hoped to pick up a state legislative seat in Grand County, which has become increasingly more liberal the past few years.
It apparently hasn't become liberal enough: Incumbent Republican Keele Johnson defeated Democratic challenger Phyllis Frankel-Young by a 62-38 margin in the race for House District 71.With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Johnson, who was appointed to the Legislature by Gov. Mike Leavitt in January 1993, received 4,496 votes. Frankel-Young received 2,696.
During the campaign, Frankel-Young, 58, tried to convince voters that she was the most politically savvy, having served as chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party and as an investigator for the state Division of Consumer Protection.
But Johnson, 42, apparently capitalized on his rural roots as his main strength over Frankel-Young, a transplant to Moab from Salt Lake City.
In a year that voter sentiment turned against Democrats, it also probably didn't hurt that Johnson was a Republican.
A former Blanding city councilman, Johnson also apparently appealed to Grand County residents' complaints about the pressures of tourism. He said he would explore raising sales taxes while lowering property taxes, shifting the tax burden to tourists, who put a demand on roads, sewers, water systems and police services.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
District 55
Uintah and Daggett counties
24 of 24 voting districts
Jack A. Seitz (R) 5,718 100%
District 68
Millard and Sanpete counties
34 of 34 voting districts
Michael R. Styler, (R-inc.) 5,293 65%
Joseph C. Blain (D) 2,834 35%
District 69
Carbon and Emery counties
20 of 20 voting districts
Tom Matthews, (D-inc.) 4,956 100%
District 70
Sevier, Sanpete and Emery counties
33 of 33 voting districts
Brad Johnson, (R-inc.) 5,835 100%
District 71
Emery, Grand and San Juan counties
33 of 33 voting districts
Keele Johnson, (R-inc.) 4,396 62%
Phyllis Frankel Young (D) 2,696 38%
District 72
Iron and Beaver counties
21 of 23 voting districts
DeMar Bowman, (R-inc.) 6,045 100%
District 73
Beaver, Garfield, Kane, Piute, Sevier, Washington and Wayne counties
49 of 50 voting districts
Tom Hatch (R) 6,668 86%
M. Norman Gubler (A) 1,093 14%
District 74
Washington County
25 of 25 voting districts
Met Johnson, (R-inc.) 6,424 100%
District 75
Washington County
23 of 23 voting districts
John W. Hickman, (R-inc.) 5,090 69%
Steve McQueen (D) 2,317 31%