A new report studies the links between rising political partisanship and declining voter turnout in Utah. And it’s a major concern for voters, landing as one of the top ten issues on Utah Foundation’s 2012 Utah Priorities Survey. So is partisanship at an all-time high in the state, and if so, what’s the impact? KCPW’s Jeff Robinson spoke with Utah Foundation President Steve Kroes to learn more.
This fall, Millcreek voters will decide if the east-side suburb should remain a township or incorporate as the county’s 17th city. What would this mean for taxpayers and businesses? And how would becoming a full-fledged city affect Salt Lake County’s already-thin budget?
How much is defeating Democratic Utah Congressman Jim Matheson worth to the National Republican Congressional Committee? At least a million dollars or so, according to the amount of money it’s prepared to spend on advertising to defeat him here. Every Friday, we talk with Thomas Burr, Washington Correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune and author of Political Cornflakes, a daily online round-up of Utah politics.
Today marks the beginning of early voting across the state for the June 26 primary election. Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen says with the excitement of this year’s races, combined with how convenient it is to vote, she expects an above average turnout.
Five Republican presidential candidates will appear on the ballot during Utah’s primary election later this month, one of them, the nation’s first openly gay presidential candidate from a major party. Fred Karger kicked off his Utah primary campaign in Salt Lake City Friday, saying although he knows Mitt Romney has secured the nomination, he still has an important message he wants to be heard.
Auston Johnson has been Utah’s State Auditor for the past 17 years, and as he runs for re-election this cycle, is touting a record of transparency and uncovering fraud, waste and abuse in government. His opponent in this month’s primary election is State Representative John Dougall. He joined us in the studio to discuss his record and why the race matters.
The presidential race has been buzzing this week over a well-known Utah politician who’s stayed in the political sphere since leaving office. Former Governor Michael Leavitt has been chosen to lead GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s transition team in the event he wins the election. Every Friday, we talk with Thomas Burr, Washington Correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune and author of Political Cornfalkes, a daily, online round-up of Utah politics.
Former State Representative and Republican Congressional candidate Carl Wimmer is taking his political aspirations to the Silver State. Wimmer announced today he’s accepted a position with the Nevada Republican Party as its Political Director.
Former Republican State Senator Dan Liljenquist was counting on a strong showing in the GOP caucus meetings this spring to knock off six-term Senator Orrin Hatch this election year. But Hatch got his people out to support him, setting the challenger back a bit. Still, Liljenquist managed to secure enough votes to put Hatch in his first primary election since 1976.
More than 60,000 people called in this week to hear a message from a group calling itself No Labels, bemoaning the lack of bipartisan solutions and real accomplishments in Washington. And among the participants they listened to was former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman. Every Friday, we talk with Thomas Burr, Washington Correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune and author of Political Cornflakes, a daily, online round-up of Utah politics.
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