Todd Neilson is not well-known to 2nd Congressional District voters. But that doesn't bother him. He'll talk about his party loyalty, his FBI work, his CPA work and let the acronyms carry home his point: Here is a guy you can trust.
And in the post-Enid Greene/Joe Waldholtz era in the 2nd District, that's not a bad angle to take.Neilson, 50, says he grew up in modest means in the lower Sugar House area. Except for time as a missionary in Finland and his 31/2 years with the FBI in Los Angeles, Neilson has been a Utah homebody.
He married the girl next door; they have five children and will be grandparents later this year. The Neilsons live in Draper and own a "gentleman's" ranch in Scipio, Millard County.
Think of an FBI agent and a certified public accountant, and the image of a man in a suit comes to mind. That's Neilson. He speaks softly and with measure. Next to Cook, who tends toward wild arm movements, a smile and a joke, Neilson seems diminutive and mild-mannered.
But that's OK. Neilson doesn't mind letting you know he's worked hard, worked smart and at 50 has become a millionaire and can afford to spend a little money on his race and give his time to public service.
Neilson says that as a kid he dreamed of being an FBI agent. But after only three and a half years as an agent, Neilson says, he decided to take the offer of a friend, then-newly elected Salt Lake County Auditor Craig Sorenson, and become his chief deputy. Moving back to Salt Lake City also had its appeals.
A couple of years with Sorenson led to four years with a major CPA firm and then starting his own firm. Specializing in big-name bankruptcies, like Bonneville Pacific, and untangling financial messes led Neilson to seek public office this year. "There's no bigger financial mess than the federal government, and I have the experience to help fix it," he says.