UTAH DEMOCRATS ELECT JOSIE VALDEZ AS VICE CHAIR OF THE UTAH DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Utah State Party Secretary Paul Pugmire congratulates newly elected vice chair,  Josie Valdez

Salt Lake City – On Saturday, December 8, 2012, the State Central Committee of the Utah Democratic Party met to fill the vice chair position left vacant by the untimely and tragic passing of Jim Judd in August.  A first ballot narrowed the candidate field to Josie Valdez and Jane Marquardt, and Josie Valdez was elected to the position following a second ballot.  Utah Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis responded:
“We were blessed with a great field of candidates; Josie Valdez will be a fantastic representative for the state of Utah, both as Vice Chair of the Utah Democratic Party and as a member of the Democratic National Committee in Washington.”

 “We are one party, we are one Democratic family,” said Josie Valdez, the newly elected Utah Democratic Party Vice-Chair.  “I’d like to thank the state central committee for their support.  I look forward to working with Chairman Dabakis, Jane Marquardt, the state executive committee, and all our amazing Utah Democrats.  We are going to grow this party in ways we’ve never even imagined!  I intend to work to unite and grow our party as we move forward into 2013 – and beyond!”

Josie Valdez is a longtime Democratic activist, a former candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and most recently, a candidate for Utah’s Senate 8.

Bob Springmeyer: Utah Democratic Nominee for Governor

Bob Springmeyer, Utah Democratic Nominee for Governor
Josie Valdez, Utah Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor
Nomination Address
Utah State Democratic Convention, 2008

We Stand United

Salt Lake Tribune:

Utah Democrats chose the "good jobs, good education, good health" candidate Bob Springmeyer as their candidate to run against Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

Before Springmeyer was nominated Saturday with nearly 87 percent of the delegate vote, he made a surprise nomination of Josie Valdez for lieutenant governor.

"We're in this to win," Springmeyer said, pointing to "all the energy of the new people" attending the convention this year.

He sees winning the governorship as "a simple numbers game." He says 39 percent of Utahns consistently vote Democratic while 41 percent vote Republican.

"The math is easy. If we can get 12 to 15 percent, we'll win," said Springmeyer, president of economic management consultant firm Bonneville Research.

Valdez's nomination was welcomed with a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd packed into the South Ballroom of the Cal Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center. "My task is to help unite and grow the party and see victory in November," Valdez said. "We stand united and united we shall win."

12 to 15 percent are not bad numbers, especially when you see numbers like this for the incumbent.

For more on the convention, A Liberal Mormon has a great rundown of the candidates.