Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Democrats have stayed out of the fray between Republicans and the state over how political parties choose candidates for elected office.
But Tuesday, Utah Democratic Party Chairman Peter Corroon said "enough is enough" as his party filed a motion to intervene in the ongoing court battle.
Corroon said Democrats want to make sure the Utah Republican Party is not allowed to rewrite the state's election laws, circumventing the will of the Legislature and a recent court decision. They also want to see the law enforced fairly and properly, he said.
"The Utah Republican Party may be the state's majority party, but that doesn't mean election laws don't apply to them," Corroon said.
The Utah GOP sued the state for a second time earlier this month over SB54, the law the Republican-controlled Legislature passed to let parties keep the convention system for choosing nominees but also allow candidates to gather signatures to get on the primary ballot.
A federal judge last fall struck down a provision in the law that required political parties to open primary elections to all voters. The ruling left the rest of SB54 intact, including letting candidates gather signatures without going through a party convention.
Among the points of contention in the latest lawsuit is whether a political party or a candidate may decide which of the two paths or both to pursue to get on the ballot.
The GOP maintains the decision rests with the party, and it has chosen Utah's longstanding caucus and convention system. The state contends the candidate has the option to seek the nomination at the convention or by gathering a requisite number of signatures allowed under SB54 or both.
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, who oversees state elections, issued a memo last week saying the state intends to follow the law as it stands.
U.S. District Judge David Nuffer ordered both sides to agree on legal questions to take to the Utah Supreme Court to resolve the dispute. In its court filing, the Utah Democratic Party said it wants to part of that discussion. Email: romboy@deseretnews.com Twitter: dennisromboy
