Utah tea party founder announces run for governor

PROVO — Utah tea party organizer David Kirkham launched his bid for governor Wednesday, promising the most open and transparent government the state has ever known.

"I see very, very, very little that should be hidden in government. Doors should be open. Meetings should be open," he said. "People need to know what is going on in government."

Gov. Gary Herbert's administration, he said, hasn't been as transparent as it could be. "I think they could do better."

The Provo Republican's first try for elected office wasn't unexpected. He began seriously considering it last fall and earlier this month said it was "virtually assured" that he would enter the race.

It wasn't an easy decision, he said.

Kirkham runs Kirkham Motorsports, a successful custom sports car manufacturing company he founded with his brother Thomas in 1994. Kirkham said he would turn the company reins over to his brother while he runs for governor.

Much of the company's work is done in a former aircraft factory in Poland. Working in Poland and serving an LDS Church mission in Peru, he said, gave him firsthand knowledge of what socialism does to people.

"I've come to realize these socialistic policies ... really hurt the poor and that's what I stand against," he said.

Government that is closest to the people and governs least governs best, he said.

Kirkham said he used to vote straight-party Republican until he realized not all Republicans are the same, noting GOP support for Troubled Assets Relief Program and government bailouts.

"I decided to stand up against it," he said, adding that's when he organized the tea party in Utah two years ago.

One of his top priorities as governor, he said, would be to repeal HB116, the controversial guest worker program for undocumented immigrants Utah lawmakers approved last year. Illegal immigration, he said, is a complicated issue.

"The simple answer is immigration is a federal issue. And I am very opposed to squandering Utah's resources, time and effort on issues that simply cannot be decided on a state level. We can't have 50 different immigration laws," he said.