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Issues/News>
Chaffetz to Face Cannon in Primary June 24
May 13, 2008
Chaffetz to Face Cannon in Primary
By Joseph Tolman - 12 May 2008
BYU News Net
Jason Chaffetz upset incumbent Chris Cannon in a tight race
for the third congressional district seat on Saturday at
the Utah Republican State Convention, but did not receive
60 percent of the delegate vote he needed to get the
nomination for the congressional seat.
The two will now face off in a primary election on June 24,
in which all registered Republican voters in the
congressional district can vote to decide the nomination.
Chaffetz, a former BYU football player, received 59 percent
of the delegate vote after the third round of voting,
narrowly missing the needed delegate votes by about nine
votes.
"I owe so much to this community. I came here with
nothing," Chaffetz said in his campaign speech. "I'm a
convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I'm a convert to the Republican Party. I will do everything
I can to fight for what's right for Utah and what's right
for the United States of America."
While Cannon has been the Representative for the past 12
years, many delegates felt a change was needed.
"I just thought we needed a change," said Aaron Boyle, a
David Leavitt supporter and UVSC student. "I wanted to make
a difference.
Many delegates echoed this feeling.
"I wanted to see fresh blood in Congress," said Steve
Garrard, a Chaffetz supporter from Springville. Garrard
also said the incumbent, Cannon, hasn't done much while he
has been in office and he needed to be held accountable for
it.
Other delegates felt a responsibility to the community.
"I wanted to make a contribution to the community," said
Joey Larsen, a BYU graduate. "I also wanted to see and be
part of the process."
Boyle, Garrard and Larsen are all first-time delegates. For
others, being a delegate and going to conventions is part
of life.
BYU graduate Scott White has been coming to political
conventions since he was little.
"I come from a politically active family," White said. "We
talk about politics over the kitchen table; it's just part
of life for me."
In the first round of voting for the third district, the
candidates were reduced to three as Joe "NPC" Ferguson was
eliminated as well as Stone Fonua. In the next round of
voting David Leavitt was eliminated after receiving 15
percent of the vote. David Leavitt is the brother of Mike
Leavitt, the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the
Bush Administration.
"It's been a long road to get here," Chaffetz said.
Following the second round of voting, Sens. Bob Bennett and
Orrin Hatch spoke. Bennett said the Republican Party has
always been the party that offered hope since the time of
Abraham Lincoln, and that republicans need to continue that
tradition and convince others of this.
Hatch urged those in attendance to get behind Sen. McCain
and support him to be the next president.
"We all need to get behind him [McCain] if we want to win
this election," Hatch said. "If we don't all get behind
Sen. McCain, we [republicans] might as well just turn this
election over to Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton, and I
cant think of a worse thing we can do to America."
While most of the convention went smoothly, there was some
hullabaloo. As Mike Ridgway, a candidate for national
committeeman, gave his campaign speech, he called Stan
Lockhart, the Chair of the Utah Republican Party, a liar as
well as other officers and staff of the party. He even went
as far as to call out all the delegates in attendance for
not allowing him (Ridgway) to vote as a delegate.
Also, after the results of the second round of the third
Congressional District were announced and Leavitt was
eliminated, some of his supporters, mainly teenagers, came
down to the floor of the convention, all holding Chris
Cannon signs. This was not allowed, and they were quickly
asked to leave. Shortly after this, another Leavitt
supporter hung a large sign that said "Leavitt supports
Cannon."
Other state officials were nominated including the
re-nomination of Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. The race for
State treasurer between Richard K. Ellis and Mark Walker
was also a tight one with neither getting the necessary
percentage of votes. That race will go to primary on June
24 also.
All registered republican voters in the third congressional
district (including the Provo area) are asked to vote in
the June primary. For more information on the Utah
Republican Party, visit www.utahgop.com.
(This article was published on BYU News Net on 5/12/08.)
(Tip of the day: Jason's last name is pronounced "Chay-fits")
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