(KCPW News) Over the weekend, Utah’s Democratic and Republican parties held their respective statewide conventions. Delegates gathered to decide whom to nominate for national and state races, and as the conventions closed, one thing was clear: familiar faces were rewarded often.
Several thousand Utah Republicans gathered at the South Towne Expo Center on Saturday to pick their candidates for a host of races, and there were few surprises.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, appointed to that role following John Swallow’s resignation, officially became the Republican nominee for this year’s special election to replace Swallow.
All three of the Republican incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives—Rob Bishop of the first district, Chris Stewart of the second district, and Jason Chaffetz of the third—easily brushed aside the competition to move on to the general election.
For the open fourth district seat, soon to be vacated by Democrat Jim Matheson, Mia Love had little trouble overcoming Bob Fuehr for the nomination, winning by a 78-to-22 percent margin.
Meanwhile, the Democrats convened in the same space where the Comic Con masses met a week earlier: the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake. And similar to the GOP convention, there weren’t many shockers.
Charles Stormont, currently an employee of Reyes, will battle his boss for a promotion to Attorney General.
Donna McAleer will take another shot at Rep. Bishop in the first district after losing to him handily in the last election.
Rep. Stewart’s Democratic opponent will be current state Sen. Luz Robles. Robles earned the nomination while unopposed.
Brian Wonnacott also went unopposed for the opportunity to face off against Chaffetz in the third district.
And attorney Doug Owens, the son of a famous former Utah politician, will take on Love in lieu of the outgoing Matheson.
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