Demos overflow conclave

PROVO — Plenty of Democrats — with plenty of enthusiasm — showed up Wednesday at the Utah County party convention.

The only thing that wasn't plentiful was seating — the Provo City Council chambers was filled to overflowing with some 200 attendees. And party leaders and candidates didn't waste the opportunity to pump each other up with high hopes for the upcoming election.

"We'll send George W. Bush back to Crawford, Texas," said Donald Dunn, the state party chairman and a former 3rd Congressional District candidate. "We'll give him a pink slip."

Dunn urged Utah County Democrats to give money and to bring at least "10 more" Democratic supporters to the polls at the 2004 election.

Dunn introduced Democratic candidates for 16 political positions, including Paul Van Dam, who is running in the U.S. Senate race against Sen. Bob Bennett, and Beau Babka, who is challenging Rep. Chris Cannon in the 3rd District, which covers most of Utah County.

Scott Matheson Jr., the party's gubernatorial candidate, told the crowd that Democrats can address the state's educational and economic issues better than Republicans, who have had a stranglehold on the governor's office since his father held the position.

"We have a huge challenge ahead of us," Matheson said. "But the way to go is inch by inch, door by door, neighborhood by neighborhood."

Newly appointed Utah County party chairman Vaughn R. Cook said the county "seriously needs a better political OK to be a Democrat. It's OK to not be one of the masses."

Former 3rd Congressional District Rep. Bill Orton, who is currently running for a spot on the Democratic National Committee, said he can remember county conventions where the candidates outnumbered the convention attendees.

"I knew there was energy, that Democrats were awake and ready to make changes," Orton said.

Dunn said his office received repeated calls the night of the primary election for more ballots, and people were willing to wait for those ballots.

Several of the candidates said they are tired of going to the polls only to find little or no choices available. "Too many times I've gone to vote and found only one name on the ballot, and it wasn't a Democrat," said Carilee Harper, candidate for state Senate District 14.

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