Demos could storm GOP primary in Utah

Todd Taylor, the longtime executive director of the Utah Democratic Party, is not actually a registered Democrat. Like more than half of all Utahns, he is officially "unaffiliated."

That would allow him to reregister at the polls during the June 24 primary as a Republican and vote that ticket — since Democrats have next to no primaries of note themselves this year. "I've been a Republican for a day before," Taylor acknowledges.

The Democratic Party is not officially encouraging those who normally vote Democratic to do such a temporary switch. But Democrats could wreak some havoc if they do.

For example, a recent Deseret News/KSL poll showed Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, holding a fairly healthy 15-point lead over GOP challenger Jason Chaffetz among just Republican registered voters in the 3rd District. But when independents and others who could vote in the GOP primary are added into the mix, Cannon and Chaffetz fall into a dead heat.

"It is the Republican nominating process" and so Democratic leaders will not ask non-Republicans to come into that primary, Taylor said. "But I imagine that some Democrats will (vote in the primary). But we aren't encouraging it."

Still, several reasons exist this year to tempt those normally identifying themselves as Democrats or independents to vote in the Republican primaries.

First, Democrats have only three mostly minor primary races of their own — a Wasatch County Council race, a Carbon County Commission race and a runoff in state House District 69, covering Carbon, Emery and San Juan counties.

No one can remember a Republican ever winning that coal mining area, House 69 seat, said retiring State Sen. Mike Dmitrich, D-Price, who earlier in his career held it for 11 terms. "I only had a Republican run against me once," he said. He notes the last time a Republican won any office in Carbon County was 60 years ago. "He was a sheriff. And he got shot," Dmitrich said.

A second reason for Democrats and independents to participate in the GOP race is simply that many can — if they officially are registered as unaffiliated. And 56 percent of all Utah voters are officially unaffiliated, according to the lieutenant governor's office.

Republicans require voters to be registered as Republicans to participate in their primary. (In contrast, Democrats allow anyone registered in any party, or independents, to vote in theirs — meaning that many Democrats never bothered to register as anything but unaffiliated when the state started allowing registration by party in 1994.)