Utah Democratic Party

Last updated
Utah Democratic Party
Chairperson Diane Lewis
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla
House Minority Leader Angela Romero
Headquarters Salt Lake City
Membership (2024)Decrease2.svg231,211 [1]
Ideology Modern liberalism
National affiliation Democratic Party
Colors  Blue
Seats in the United States Senate
0 / 2
Seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
0 / 4
Seats in the Utah Senate
6 / 29
Seats in the Utah House of Representatives
14 / 75
Website
www.utahdemocrats.org

The Utah Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Utah. The party describes itself as a big tent party. [2]

Contents

It has very weak electoral power in the state. It controls none of Utah's statewide or federal elected offices, and minorities in both houses of the Utah state legislature. Democrats last won Utah at the presidential level in 1964.

History

The Democratic Party originated around 1884 in Utah. In 1896, more than 80 percent of the state vote went toward William Jennings Bryan, a Democrat, and the state elected several Democrats to state and local offices. The Democratic legislature elected Joseph L. Rawlins to serve as a U.S. Senator and William H. King to the House.

Reed Smoot had a political alliance with the Mormons and Gentiles that helped the Republican Party to gain power. The Democrats did not have as much power after 1900. Although, in 1924, Democratic legislator George Dern beat the incumbent Republican Governor Charles Mabey winning on the slogan, "We Want a Dern Good Governor and We Don't Mean Mabey".

In the 1930s, the Democrats had more success. President Franklin D. Roosevelt selected Governor Dern as the Secretary of War. Elbert D. Thomas beat incumbent Reed Smoot in the Senate and served until 1950. Herbert B. Maw was elected to the state senate in 1928. He then became the President of the Utah Senate. They passed bills dealing with unemployment assistance and they created an open primary law.

Maw was elected governor in 1940 and was reelected in 1944, but lost in 1948. In the same year, Reva Beck Bosone was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat. She was the first woman from Utah to be elected to Congress.

In 1958, Frank E. "Ted" Moss was elected to the U.S. Senate and remained there until the 1970s. Cal Rampton, a moderate Democrat, was elected governor in 1964.

The Democratic Party weakened in the 1970s and 1980s after split opinions over the Equal Rights Amendment. They became stronger in the 1990s; Wayne Owens was reelected in the 2nd District and Bill Orton was elected to Congress from the 3rd District. It still remains a clear minority in state politics. [3]

Beverly White, the longest serving woman in the Utah State Legislature, was a member of the Democratic Party. [4]

The party's platform focuses on economic security, equal opportunity, the common good, and American leadership. [2]

State party organization

Party executive officers

OfficeOffice-holder
Chair Diane Lewis
Vice ChairOscar Mata
Secretary Elizabeth Weight
TreasurerKathy Long
Executive DirectorThom DeSirant
National Committee MemberDarlene McDonald
National Committee Member Ross Romero

[5]

State-party caucuses

The Utah Democratic Party recognizes 15 statewide caucuses. Each caucus promotes issues related to its mission:

Election results

Presidential

Utah Democratic Party presidential election results
ElectionPresidential TicketVotesVote %Electoral votesResult
1896 William Jennings Bryan/Arthur Sewall 64,61082.70%
3 / 3
Lost
1900 William Jennings Bryan/Adlai E. Stevenson 45,00648.30%
0 / 3
Lost
1904 Alton B. Parker/Henry G. Davis 33,41332.86%
0 / 3
Lost
1908 William Jennings Bryan/John W. Kern 42,63739.19%
0 / 3
Lost
1912 Woodrow Wilson/Thomas R. Marshall 36,57932.58%
0 / 4
Won
1916 Woodrow Wilson/Thomas R. Marshall 84,14558.78%
4 / 4
Won
1920 James M. Cox/Franklin D. Roosevelt 56,63938.84%
0 / 4
Lost
1924 John W. Davis/Charles W. Bryan 47,00129.94%
0 / 4
Lost
1928 Al Smith/Joseph T. Robinson 80,98545.86%
0 / 4
Lost
1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt/John N. Garner 116,75056.52%
4 / 4
Won
1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt/John N. Garner 150,24669.34%
4 / 4
Won
1940 Franklin D. Roosevelt/Henry A. Wallace 154,27762.25%
4 / 4
Won
1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt/Harry S. Truman 150,08860.44%
4 / 4
Won
1948 Harry S. Truman/Alben W. Barkley 149,15153.98%
4 / 4
Won
1952 Adlai Stevenson/John Sparkman 135,36441.07%
0 / 4
Lost
1956 Adlai Stevenson/Estes Kefauver 118,36435.44%
0 / 4
Lost
1960 John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson 169,24845.17%
0 / 4
Won
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson/Hubert Humphrey 219,62854.86%
4 / 4
Won
1968 Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie 156,66537.07%
0 / 4
Lost
1972 George McGovern/Sargent Shriver 126,28426.39%
0 / 4
Lost
1976 Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale 182,11033.65%
0 / 4
Won
1980 Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale 124,26620.57%
0 / 4
Lost
1984 Walter Mondale/Geraldine Ferraro 155,36924.68%
0 / 5
Lost
1988 Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen 297,34332.05%
0 / 5
Lost
1992 Bill Clinton/Al Gore 183,42924.65%
0 / 5
Won
1996 Bill Clinton/Al Gore 221,63333.30%
0 / 5
Won
2000 Al Gore/Joe Lieberman 203,05326.34%
0 / 5
Lost
2004 John Kerry/John Edwards 241,19926.00%
0 / 5
Lost
2008 Barack Obama/Joe Biden 327,67034.22%
0 / 5
Won
2012 Barack Obama/Joe Biden 251,81324.69%
0 / 6
Won
2016 Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 310,67627.46%
0 / 6
Lost
2020 Joe Biden/Kamala Harris 560,28237.65%
0 / 6
Won

Gubernatorial

Utah Democratic Party gubernatorial election results
ElectionGubernatorial candidateVotesVote %Result
1895 John Thomas Caine 18,51944.73%LostRed x.svg
1900 James Moyle 37,15248.02%LostRed x.svg
1904 James Moyle 38,04737.40%LostRed x.svg
1908 Jesse Knight 43,26638.80%LostRed x.svg
1912 John Franklin Tolton36,07632.36%LostRed x.svg
1916 Simon Bamberger 78,50255.12%WonGreen check.svg
1920 Thomas N. Taylor 54,91338.78%LostRed x.svg
1924 George Dern 81,30852.99%WonGreen check.svg
1928 George Dern 102,95358.50%WonGreen check.svg
1932 Henry H. Blood 116,03156.39%WonGreen check.svg
1936 Henry H. Blood 109,65664.59%WonGreen check.svg
1940 Herbert B. Maw 128,51952.07%WonGreen check.svg
1944 Herbert B. Maw 123,90750.21%WonGreen check.svg
1948 Herbert B. Maw 123,81445.01%LostRed x.svg
1952 Earl J. Glade 147,18844.92%LostRed x.svg
1956 L.C. "Rennie" Romney111,29733.43%LostRed x.svg
1960 William Arthur Barlocker175,85547.34%LostRed x.svg
1964 Cal Rampton 226,95656.99%WonGreen check.svg
1968 Cal Rampton 289,28368.71%WonGreen check.svg
1972 Cal Rampton 331,99869.69%WonGreen check.svg
1976 Scott M. Matheson 280,70652.02%WonGreen check.svg
1980 Scott M. Matheson 330,97455.16%WonGreen check.svg
1984 Wayne Owens 275,66943.78%LostRed x.svg
1988 Ted Wilson 249,32138.41%LostRed x.svg
1992 Stewart Hanson117,18123.24%LostRed x.svg
1996 Jim Bradley156,61623.31%LostRed x.svg
2000 Bill Orton 321,97942.27%LostRed x.svg
2004 Scott Matheson Jr. 380,35941.35%LostRed x.svg
2008 Bob Springmeyer186,50319.72%LostRed x.svg
2010 (special) Peter Corroon 205,24631.90%LostRed x.svg
2012 Peter Cooke 277,62227.58%LostRed x.svg
2016 Mike Weinholtz323,34928.74%LostRed x.svg
2020 Christopher Peterson 442,75430.35%LostRed x.svg

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 [6] 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 [6] 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 a candidate 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.

Current elected officials

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

Both of Utah's senate seats have been held by Republicans since 1977. Frank Moss was the last Democrat to represent Utah in the United States Senate.

U.S. House of Representatives

Utah has been represented in the U.S. House exclusively by Republicans since 2021. Ben McAdams was the last Democrat to hold a Utah U.S. House seat.

Statewide offices

State Legislature

Mayors

Notable members

Governors

[8] [6]

Senators

Representatives

See also

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References

  1. "Voter Registration Statistics". Utah Secretary of State. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Utah Democratic Party Platform 2020". Utah Democratic Party. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. Democratic Party, The University of Utah, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/d/DEMOCRATIC.html, retrieved 14 December 2011
  4. "Trailblazing former Utah legislator Beverly White, champion of the underdog, dies at age 92". The Salt Lake Tribune . June 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021.
  5. "Utah Democratic Party Executive Committee" . Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Utah Democratic Party Website
  7. "Karen Mayne — Utah Senate". Archived from the original on 2019-02-17.
  8. "Jensen, Moroni L. (Moroni Lundby), 1912-1980 - Social Networks and Archival Context".

Further reading