Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign team officially opened a Utah headquarters office Tuesday. The Democrat is hoping to win over voters in a solidly Republican state, where voters haven’t embraced a Democrat for president since the 1960’s.
But Hillary Clinton supporters say they see an opportunity to reverse that trend in this election. They’ve opened up a Hillary for American office in Millcreek.
“This is really our base camp for grassroots organizing,” says Lisa Allcott, who is co representative for Hillary for America in Utah alongside Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson.
The new office will house paid staff, phone banks and serve as a launch pad for volunteer canvassing. Clinton has a lot in common with Utah values, Allcott says, and Utahns are energized about having a stake in deciding the presidential race this year. She adds that the Clinton campaign has come to see Utah as a “winnable” state for this Democrat.
“They’re sending surrogates out,” Allcott says, “and we’ll have more. I think somebody else might come out next week, so stay tuned.”
Meanwhile, the GOP presidential campaign is also ramping up in Utah.
Nominee Donald Trump has hired two full-time staffers here, and the campaign is establishing three field offices on the Wasatch Front. Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, is scheduled to visit Utah next Thursday. And Donald Trump Jr. is planning stump for his father later in September.
