Utah Democratic Party

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The Utah State Democratic Party works to elect Democrats to office in the state of Utah. The Utah Democratic Party, like other national, state, and county parties, maintains a party platform that lists general principles or issues of importance to members of the Utah Democratic Party^[1] and maintains a party organization at the state level.

[edit] History

[edit] State party organization

[edit] Party executive officers

[edit] State party caucuses

The Utah Democratic Party recognizes 14 state-wide caucuses. Each caucus focuses on promoting issues related to their mission.

[edit] County party organization

Each of Utah's 29 Counties has a party organization, which operates within that county and sends state delegates to the Utah Democratic Party's ^[2] state convention each year. County delegates are selected at caucus meetings held on the third Tuesday of March in election years (even numbered years) and serve two year terms. In April, county delegates selected at the March caucus meetings gather at their respective county conventions to select state delegates and nominate county candidates or state legislative candidates where the legislative district is entirely within their county.

The Utah Democratic Party's ^[3] state convention is typically held within the first two weeks of May following these county conventions in election years, but may be held later in odd numbered years. At state conventions state delegates vote to determine the party's nominees in federal races or in state races where the district crosses county lines in what is referred to as a "nominating convention." A candidate must receive at least 60% of the vote at the nominating convention to become the party's nominee. If he/she falls short of this goal the nominee is determined through a primary. In Utah, Democratic primaries are open to all registered voters, but a registered voter may only participate in one party's primary. The Republican primary is closed to all but registered Republicans (Unaffiliated registered voters may change their affiliation on election day to vote in a Republican primary.)

In odd numbered years county and state delegates gather at county organizing conventions and the state organizing convention respectively to determine their county and state party leadership. Positions up for election at these conventions are party chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer. Together these offices make up the executive officers of the respective county parties and the Utah Democratic Party. A simple majority is sufficient to elect someone to each of these positions, though it may take up to two ballots in order to receive a majority of the delegates' votes. All county party chairs and vice chairs are automatically assigned to the Utah Democratic Party's central committee. Counties may have additional representatives in this body depending upon population.

[edit] Current Democratic office holders

[edit] Federal

• Senate
• House
  • Jim Matheson

[edit] State

• Senate
• House
  • Christine "Chris" Johnson

[edit] County

Salt Lake County

• Peter Corroon

[edit] City

Salt Lake City

• Ralph Becker

[edit] Prominent Utah Democrats of the Past

[edit] Governors

[edit] Senators

[edit] Representatives

[edit] See also

• Democracy
• Democratic Party
• Republican Party
• Republican Party of Utah

[edit] References

1. ^ The Utah Democrats - Community, Values, Reform
2. ^ Utah Democratic Party Website
3. ^ Utah Democratic Party Website

[edit] External links

• Utah Democratic Party official website
• Official blog
• Utah Amicus

County party websites

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