A recent opinion piece by Steve Handy asked voters in District 16 to remember the conditions on March 8, 2022. While harsh weather may have played a role in keeping attendance down at last March’s caucus night, the Utah GOP had previously created several ways to allow voters to participate in their caucus despite weather conditions or work schedules, allowing every would-be caucus attendee to conveniently vote absentee. Besides, the caucus system isn’t about the quantity of its participants and never has been. It’s about communicating and community.
Those who attended the caucus looked beyond the weather conditions that evening. They were conservative, liberal and moderate. They had concerns about the overall conditions in our party, our district, our county, our state and our country, and they got involved.
I decided to run well before that night in March, and I made it my goal to go out and meet every single delegate. I called them, knocked on their doors and listened to them. I did my best to explain why I was running, what I was in favor of, what I was opposed to and what I was committed to doing if they chose me to represent them.
The night of the Davis County Republican Convention I was humbled and honored to be selected as the nominee for Utah House District 16. I received enough of a majority at the convention that there was no need for a primary.
My opponent had the exact same opportunity I did to meet with the delegates and listen to their concerns. If he was not willing to make that effort, he had the fallback option of gathering 1,000 signatures and forcing a primary election. But he didn’t choose to do either of those things and is now instead claiming the caucus system is somehow flawed.
It is my opponent’s legislative record that is flawed.
He voted to increase taxes, limit Second Amendment and self-defense rights, increase fees to purchase a firearm, release violent criminals from jail, shift the burden of fines and fees from criminals to taxpayers, sponsor a bill to give police the ability to arrest without a warrant, make private information available to authorities without a warrant, limit the First Amendment right to free speech, oppose local control of education, oppose public school children saying the Pledge of Allegiance daily and oppose school choice (HB331, HB59, HB206, HB392, HB99, HB114, HB228, HB373, HB485, HB69, HB209, HB260, HB388, HB114, HB229, HB209, HB49, HB293, HB122, HB388, HB362, SB198, SB104, SB197 and SB223).
I would have voted differently.
While there are various paths to getting elected, I’ve chosen the path of hard work and trusting the voters of District 16. Every day since the convention, I’ve kept my sleeves rolled up and my mind focused on learning and communicating with everyone in my community, not just Republicans, so that I know what is important to those I’ll represent.
My name is Trevor Lee. I am on the ballot as the Republican nominee for House District 16. I’m a commonsense conservative who believes in free speech, the Second Amendment, religious liberty, fiscal restraint and limited government. I will do the right thing for those I represent. I respectfully ask for your vote on Nov. 8.
Trevor Lee is running to represent Utah House District 16.