Utah's unique system for nominating candidates under scrutiny

SALT LAKE CITY — A small group of Republicans looking to change the state's unique system of nominating candidates is expected to decide in mid-December whether to take their case directly to voters through an initiative petition drive.

"We've started talking about funding," said LaVarr Webb, a political consultant, lobbyist and Deseret News columnist who is a leader of the newly formed Alliance for Good Government. 

But Webb said group is assessing how much financial support there would be for the statewide petition drive. He said they agreed at a recent meeting to wait until the middle of next month to make a final decision on the initiative.

The alliance also includes former Gov. Michael Leavitt and his former chief of staff, Rich McKeown, as well as University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics Director Kirk Jowers. Jowers has been an outspoken critic of the current selection system.

They are reportedly looking a plan that would allow candidates to get on a primary election ballot without going through the caucus system controlled by party delegates, through a petition process. 

Their efforts come as a research group, the Utah Foundation, has come up with a report on the caucus and convention system and will host a debate between Utah Republican and Democratic leaders and Jowers on Dec. 16.

While the report makes no recommendations, it notes "it would be interesting to see if voter turnout increased in Utah's primary elections" if changes in the system were made.

The report also states that other research suggests that Utah's elected leaders may be "more focused on making policies supported by party delegates, rather than their larger constituencies" as result of the current system.

"We really are the only state in the country with a system that gives as much power to the delegates as Utah does," foundation president Steve Kroes said.

Just seven states use a party convention to select candidates — Utah, Connecticut, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota and Virginia, the report found.

But Utah is the only state where a primary election for major statewide and congressional offices can be precluded, if candidates receive at least 60 percent of the convention delegates' votes.