Many factors may play a role in lack of women in Utah politics

SALT LAKE CITY — While the varying winds of Republican and Democratic dogma that blow through the state play a role in who represents voters in Utah, other factors affect the role of gender in the Utah political system.

History, culture and faith all have an impact.

The numbers

A recent Dan Jones & Associates survey shows that about the same percentage of Utah men and women consider themselves "strong Republicans."

But after that classification, men are more Republican and conservative as one moves through the political range.

For example, 74 percent of "not so strong" Republicans are men, only 26 percent women. And among those who say they "lean Republican" in their voting, 62 percent are men, while only 38 percent are women.

Thus, in the general conservative voter field, there are more men than women, the poll shows.

Likewise, Jones found that most Democratic voters are women. Women make up 62 percent of the "strong Democrat" voting pool, and only 38 percent are men.

This general observation in Utah follows national trends, where most GOP voters are men and most Democratic voters are women.

The society

Seventy percent of Utahns say they are very active, somewhat active or non-active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jones says polling shows.

Like some other organized religions, the LDS Church has a male-only priesthood, so men hold the major offices in the church. Thus, LDS men (most of whom are Republicans) are used to holding church offices, which can bleed over into civic and political offices.

The political

The low number of GOP female state delegates is reflected in GOP officeholders, as well. There has never been a female Republican state Senate president, nor a female House speaker.

There is only one female GOP state senator out of 21 (4.7 percent). There are four female Democratic senators out of eight (50 percent).

There are only seven female GOP state House members out of 53 (13 percent). There are 11 female Democrats out of 22 in the House (50 percent).

The Utah Democratic Party recently had a two-term elected female chairwoman, but the state GOP has had only one female chairwoman in recent memory, and she was the vice chairwoman and inherited the top job when the male chairman resigned.

Utah has had only one female governor — Gov. Olene Walker — who was lieutenant governor and inherited the top job when former Gov. Mike Leavitt resigned.

But Walker was eliminated in the 2004 state GOP convention when she sought the governorship in her own right. And the fact that she was a woman may have played a part in her convention defeat.

e-mail: bbjr@desnews.com