We the People

Cache County Democratic Convention is set to take place Thursday

by Morgan Pratt

 

The Cache County Democratic Convention will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Logan High School. Democrats across the valley, including those who participate in special interest groups, will be in attendance.

 

Merry Lu Zeller, the vice president of the Cache County Democratic Party, said some of the most important issues that will be discussed are education, the environment and health care.

 

Vincent Wickwar, the president of the Cache County Democratic Party, said they are expecting candidates for the United States Congress including Donna McAleer and Peter Clemens. Wickwar said Dorene Schulze-Stever is running for Utah House District 1 and Jeff Turley is also seeking a House seat for District 5. The Democratic candidate for the Attorney General, Charles Stormont, will be in attendance as well.

 

He said speakers from Cache County chapters of groups like the LDS Dems, Latino Dems, and Women Democrats will present. 

 

Zeller said there is a low number of liberal candidates running this year, which is no surprise for Utah. 

 

She said the Democratic party is not trying to reach out to Republicans and change their outlook on politics. Instead, she said the main problem the Utah Democratic Party typically faces is getting the “closet Democrats” to participate in caucuses and conventions.

 

“They are not really vocal," she said. "They do not stand on the sides of the street and wave signs. But if there is something going on in the county that is important, they get out and vote.”

 

Clay Marsh, the co-president of the Utah State University Democrats, said the issue regarding “closet Democrats” stems from the high Mormon population.

 

“There are definitely a lot of people who would be fearful of expressing those kind of opinions in a very conservative-dominated culture,” Marsh said.

 

Regardless, Zeller said on a local level, there is not much of a difference between the Democratic and the Republican parties.

 

“On the state level I do not believe we are that polarized,” she said. “I believe on a national level, there is more polarization.”