Demos target District 1 race

District 1 is possibly the state's most diverse, urban and Democratic legislative district. It's also a district currently controlled by a Republican.

Since Sen. James Evans, R-Salt Lake, narrowly defeated Democrat Nisa Sisneros two years ago, Democratic leaders have looked anxiously to this year, when they would have a chance to unseat a person they consider an unwelcome guest in one of the few districts they feel they legitimately own.

The focus for Democrats was apparent from the filing deadline, when three candidates filed to run and two — political newcomer Pasa Tukuafu and former Rep. Fred Fife — wound up in the party's only legislative primary, which Fife won.

While Democrats see the district as a relative stronghold, there are still significant challenges to overcome. After all, barely more than 500 people voted in the primary, compared to almost 20,000 in each of the two Republican Senate primaries, although the GOP also had a governor's primary to attract voters. As a candidate, Evans has an almost 5-to-1 cash advantage and a reputation among both parties as one of the hardest-working candidates. Additionally, while Democrats push for political balance, the Republicans can tout ethnic diversity because Evans is one of only two black legislators while Fife is white.

A key demographic for the candidates, in fact, will be minority voters, especially Hispanics, who comprise a quickly growing segment of the district's population, said Luz Robles, a Democrat and co-chairwoman of the nonpartisan Utah Hispanic Legislative Task Force. It is also a group with which Evans "did a lot of outreach work" during his first two years in the Legislature.

Still, Robles said it is essential for Democrats to control the district, both for the good of its constituents and the state as a whole.

"I believe we need some balance in the Legislature, period," she said. "I mean party-wise, number one, and ethnic-wise. Our Legislature doesn't reflect the diversity in our state."

Sylvia Haro, a Republican and co-chairwoman of the Utah Hispanic Legislative Task Force with Robles, said that she expects the work Evans has done with the Hispanic community to draw the diverse voters to the incumbent. She said she has not seen Fife doing nearly as much work with the minority populations, which are important for winning the district.

"It is one of those areas where the Hispanic vote could really make a difference," Haro said.