Blue dots in a red sea: Utah Democrats look for a way forward

New Democratic Party chair Brian King promises bold leadership — but faces resistance from both purists and pragmatists

Published: May 31, 2025, 7:30 p.m. MDT

Brian King, a candidate for chair of the Utah Democratic Party, speaks during the 2025 Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention at Ogden High School in Ogden on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Tess Crowley, Deseret News

Emma is a staff writer for the Deseret News where she covers the court system, social and cross-generational issues.

Nearly 600 of the 2,343 delegates from the state participated in person at the Utah Democratic Convention held in Ogden on Saturday, casting their votes for new party leadership with the aim of forming a united front against the dominant Republicans in the state.

Winning 52% of the record-breaking 1,450 votes cast by both in-person and remote delegates, Brian King won as the new face of the Utah Democratic Party.

He told the Deseret News he’s going to work to unify the party in the Beehive State. That means the “very progressive on the left end of the spectrum” and the “moderates and pragmatists and independents and unaffiliated voters and disillusioned Republicans,” he said.

Brian King, center, newly elected chair of the Utah Democratic Party, celebrates his win and signs a shirt for a supporter after the election results are announced during the 2025 Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention at Ogden High School in Ogden on Saturday, May 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

“It is not either or. It is both.”

“An effective party and an effective party leadership has to be able to have things to say to both groups and everybody in between that causes them to say, ‘OK, I feel good about being a Democrat,’” King added.

Before the votes were cast, Jeremy Thompson, chair of the Weber County Democratic Party Executive Committee, said that it’ll be the responsibility of the state party leaders to turn “Utah from blue dots to an ocean of progressive success.”

In his opening remarks, Thompson said the United States is fighting “the same challenges” that citizens during the civil rights era were going through, with Donald Trump as president for the next four years.

The convention came at a time when many local and national Democrats are wondering if the party can overcome its internal battles to even have a fighting chance against Republican power on the state and federal level.

Thom DeSirant, a state delegate from Salt Lake County, speaks out against both resolutions during the 2025 Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention at Ogden High School in Ogden on Saturday, May 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

DNC party chair candidate Archie A. Williams said Democrats’ losses stem from the party being outnumbered by Republicans and then worsened by a lack of unification.

“We can’t afford to boycott elections when we’re losing. We have to work together now,” he said.

A self-described “pro-life Democrat,” Williams said if you want a Democrat to win in Utah, you’re going to have to pick a pro-life candidate. Many in the crowd began to boo his comment, but Williams responded by saying he’s simply sharing “how to win.”

Archie A. Williams III, a candidate for chair of the Utah Democratic Party, speaks during the 2025 Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention at Ogden High School in Ogden on Saturday, May 31, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

But not every Democrat believes trying to appeal to socially conservative voters is the best tactic.

Ken Charette, vice chair of House District 34 and supporter of King’s closest competitor, Ben Peck, told the Deseret News that he doesn’t think trying to change the party’s message on social issues is the right approach.

“I don’t think that’s what we need right now. I think we need somebody that isn’t afraid to say, ‘I’m a Democrat and I support LGBTQ people. I support reproductive rights.’”

Move to the center or dig in? Utah Democrats disagree about best path forward

Peck ultimately lost to King after winning 44% of the votes.

“We need to not move ourselves more to the middle to be appeasing everyone, because people can tell when we are speaking out of both sides of our mouth,” Charette said, pointing out that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy Tour” with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, brought in 20,000 Utahns “and their message isn’t moderated.”

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who was supposed to be a guest speaker but ended up canceling last minute, said in a short video message that Utah Democrats “know a thing or two about showing up to the fight.”