Utah is overwhelmingly Republican, but if there is a place where GOP politicians struggle it's Salt Lake County — a declared battleground this year for both major political parties.
Republican Party leaders vow to make inroads come November in county politics both in county and legislative races.
"We will be very aggressive this year," says Salt Lake County GOP chairman James Evans, a former Utah state senator. "We are going to define what the Democrats really are."
Democrats say they will hold their own in important races and keep two state Senate seats on the east side of the county whose Democratic incumbents are retiring.
"We are showing county voters that our officeholders are just like them," says Salt Lake County Democratic chairwoman Megan Risbon. "We reflect (county voters') values, the Republicans don't."
Voters may well find differences between Republican and Democratic candidates in the county, but if one is going on county party platforms don't expect to see such marked differences.
The GOP county platform proposed for adoption this Saturday is full of platitudes and broad-based statements.
There is no strong pro-life plank; nothing mentioned about gay/straight school clubs, same-sex marriage, private school tuition tax credits or hate crimes — all issues debated by conservative Republicans in recent Legislatures.
And Salt Lake County Democrats didn't bother to adopt a new platform in their convention last Saturday. In fact, county Democratic leaders didn't even have a copy of the platform adopted in 2004, trying to dig one up at the request of a newspaper reporter. Finally, Risbon said there actually is not a Salt Lake County Democratic platform at all — "We just use the state party platform."
Compared to the state GOP's stand on abortion, the Salt Lake County GOP platform is obtuse.
For example, the state party has a "Right to Life" plank, which reads in part: "We believe in the right to life for both the born and unborn . . . We believe all human life is sacred regardless of age or infirmity, and therefore we oppose abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide and the public funding of any of these abhorrent practices."
There is no Salt Lake County GOP plank specifically on abortion. Under the heading: "Human Life," the county platform reads: "We believe that families and society have the responsibility to preserve and maintain the sanctity of human life."
By comparison, the 2004 state Democratic platform says: "Utah Democrats believe in a comprehensive approach that protects reproductive freedom while fostering personal responsibility and education for thoughtful and moral decisions about sexuality, childbearing, adoption and parenting."
Evans says county Republicans were not trying to duck controversial issues. Rather, conservative delegates took their specific issues to the state party platform "because they are statewide issues — like abortion. Otherwise, you would have to get your (pro-life plank) in all 29 county platforms."
Don't be fooled by the GOP sheep in wolf's clothing, says Risbon.
While Republicans dominate the politics of nearly all Utah counties, in Salt Lake County — 40 percent of the state's population — Democrats are vying not just for parity, but for control.
U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, has carried the county's portion of the 2nd District by more than 60 percent in recent elections.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scott Matheson Jr. beat GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman in the county in 2004.
Democrats hold seven of the 11 state Senate seats in the county.
Democrats hold half of the 30 Utah House seats in Salt Lake County.
Democrats hold the county mayorship and are one seat short of winning a majority on the Salt Lake County Council.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is a Democrat, and there has been no GOP Salt Lake mayor since the mid-1970s.
A few GOP legislators in the county are successful because they are moderates, says Risbon. But others are not. "And the Republican leadership in the House and Senate are not, in truth, as moderate as they like to appear," she adds.
Evans predicts that the run of Democratic victories ends in 2006.
"We will win the two open state Senate seats," held by retiring Democratic Sens. Patrice Arent, D-Murray, and Karen Hale, D- Salt Lake, Evans says.
In addition, Republicans will take seats away from Reps. Janice Fisher and Neal Hendrickson, both D-West Valley; Roz McGee, D-Salt Lake; Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay; and Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, says Evans.
The county district attorney and clerk offices will also go to Republicans, he promises.
Not likely, says Risbon. "We're going to have a very good year. We're organizing at the grass-roots level, and we are going to turn out our voters — who are tired of the Republicans both nationally and locally."
E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com