5 vying today for Killpack's Senate seat

SYRACUSE — Five northern Davis County Republicans have lined up to fill a vacancy in the Utah Senate.

Layton resident Erik Bornemeier has joined the slate of candidates that includes Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton; Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield; former Layton mayor Jerry Stevenson and Jory R. Francis, the owner of a personal-care company.

By Friday's deadline, those names made the list, said Davis Republican Chairwoman Shirley Bouwhuis.

During a convention today, county Republicans will select one of the men to fill the remainder of Sheldon Killpack's term.

Killpack resigned from his post as Senate majority leader and as a senator representing the northern Davis County cities of Layton, Clearfield, Syracuse, West Point and Clinton, one day after being arrested on investigation of driving under the influence.

Today's convention will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Syracuse Arts Academy, 2893 W. 1700 South, with check-in for delegates beginning at 3 p.m.

Each candidate will have seven minutes of speech time to appeal to delegates who live within Senate District 21.

If either of the state legislators is selected to fill Killpack's seat, Bouwhuis will call for nominations for another replacement convention to be held Jan. 30.

"We can't afford for those constituents to be without representation," she said.

By the end of today's convention, Bouwhuis will be something of an expert on special conventions, as this is the second one she has organized since become chairwoman in April.

In September, a special convention was held in which Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, was selected as a replacement for Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, who had been serving as a senator in District 22, representing Layton, Kaysville, Fruit Heights and Farmington, when Gov. Gary Herbert selected him to be his lieutenant governor.

The Utah Legislature convenes Monday for its 45-day session.

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