By Ravin Robertson
The Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce held a “Meet the Candidates Night” on Tuesday Oct. 29 to give Utah County voters the opportunity to meet and talk with the eleven candidates running in the six non-congressional elections on Nov. 5.
“This event helps everyone be informed,” said Mike Lehman, a member of the Government Review Council who moderated the event. “Some of these races are smaller races like county auditor and attorney, races that people don”t take an active effort to find out about that candidate, so by bringing them all here, they can learn about them.”
The offices included in this election cycle are Utah County attorney, commissioner, and clerk and auditor, state senators for district 15 and state representatives for Districts 58 and 64.
While education and transportation were the main issues discussed at the event sponsored by the Government Review Council of the Provo-Orem Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters, candidates also discussed the issues they perceive local voters deem important.
Roger Layton, the Democratic candidate for the Utah County Commissioner, said listening is one of the most important things a leader can do.
“This was one of the very few opportunities in which people can come and meet the candidates and was great way to meet people and its key because this is where you hear what people”s concerns are. It”s important for me to hear what other people are concerned about.”
Kay Bryson, the current Utah County Attorney running for re-election for the Republican party, said that his goal is to make Utah County a better, safer place to live by taking a tough stance on drugs and pornography.
“Part of what I”ve done as County Attorney is to make certain that Utah County is free from the influences of pornography as much as possible. As long as the courts say that it is illegal to create or distribute those kinds of things, I am going to enforce the law the way the legislature intended it and the way the courts intended it.”
Andrew McCullough, Libertarian candidate for the Utah County Attorney office and treasurer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said that it”s time Utah County citizens had a real choice.
“Mr. Bryson has run unopposed in the last two elections and I felt like there were a lot of people who didn”t always agree with everything he did and somebody ought to run against him.”
Although not having much clout in Utah County, McCullough said this race is important to the Libertarian party because if he gets a certain amount of votes in this election, then his party will be able to run again in two years.
