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Utah Democratic Party Implements SB54 Changes

Brian Grimmett
Utah Democratic Party Chair Peter Corroon addresses delegates at their state convention

The Utah Democratic Party held their state convention on Saturday and delegates have chosen to become a qualified political party.

A qualified political party is a new designation created by SB54 that allows political parties to keep the caucus and convention system, but also requires them to allow candidates to gain access to a primary election if they gain a certain amount of signatures. While those changes managed to pass without any debate, Democratic delegates defeated an effort to increase the percentage of votes a candidate has to get at convention to avoid a primary. State Party Chair Peter Corroon says he would have liked to see a change that meant more races go to a primary.

“I want to see Utahns get out to vote as a whole," he says. "And so anything that makes it easier for them to get out and vote and feel like the system isn’t fixed or that they have no choices, I think that’s a good thing.”

Nanette Ahlstrom one was of the many delegates that voted to keep the threshold at 60%, thus reducing the number of races that go to a primary.

“It causes division and when we really need to get together as a party and get behind one person and put all our resources behind somebody to make, have an impact in the state,” she says.

Delegates also re-elected Corroon as state party chair and Breanne Miller as vice-chair. Corroon ran uncontested. 

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