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

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.

“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.

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.”

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.’”

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.”

“You know how to stand up against the odds and get things done,” Pritzker said.

Now, as chair, King said the Utah Democrats voted for someone “that they want to stand up and speak truth to power.”

“I want the people in this room to know that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to not hesitate to stand up and speak truth,” he said.

Following his win he said in a post on social media that he’s ready for the role.

Here are the newly elected officers:

• Brian King, Chair
• Susan Merrill, Vice Chair
• Brad Dickter, Secretary
• Catherine Voutaz, Treasurer

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