Partisan Lines: Where Utah’s Delegates and Voters Align and Diverge – 2024 Utah Priorities Project

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The Utah political process includes the use of party delegates. Delegates are representatives chosen at a party caucus to represent voters. These delegates then choose party candidates at political party conventions.

This report, Partisan Lines: Where Utah’s Delegates and Voters Align and Diverge, details party delegates’ survey responses to the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. By comparing responses to those of Utah voters, the reports seek to understand how voters and delegates are similar and different across a wide range of topics that affect all Utahns.

Key Findings

  • Pessimism: Delegates from both parties are more pessimistic than their voter counterparts, noting that Utah is on the wrong track and that their quality of life has decreased.
  • Ideological differences: Utah’s Republican delegates are somewhat more conservative than Republican voters, while Democratic delegates are about the same as Democratic voters.
  • Issue priorities: Republican delegates place less importance on housing, roads, air quality, and crime when compared to Republican voters, while Democratic delegates focus more on education content and less on healthcare and homelessness when compared to Democratic voters.
  • Demographic composition: Both Republican and Democratic delegates are more likely than voters to be men, actively religious, older, and white, and have more education and higher incomes.

 

Comments:

2 Responses to “Partisan Lines: Where Utah’s Delegates and Voters Align and Diverge – 2024 Utah Priorities Project”

  1. Chrissy hannemann

    I just participated in the Utah Republican State convention as a first timer. It was interesting to confirm your research regarding demographics and general outlook now that I saw it “up close and personal.”

    Overall, the delegates seem to value their own power over the power of voters they were elected to represent. They fear broadening the base.
    Even more shocking, they seem to value their own power as delegates over the power of the people who were actually elected to represent us via statewide elections. Imagine kicking our elected officials out of the party if they dare to beat the candidates nominated by the convention!! This attitude seems very “un-American” in my perspective.

    Thanks for taking on this issue.

    Reply
    • Shawn Teigen

      Thank you very much for your comments. And thanks for your civic engagement!

      Reply

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