Utah Democrats kick off convention with national delegate elections

L to R: Holly Martak Yocom, Cristy Gleave, Keri Jones, talking during Utah State Democratic Party Convention's national delegate election, Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 2012 | Photo by Tracie McFarlin, St. George News
St. George resident, Shirley Nelson, campaigning for national delegate at the Utah State Democratic Party Convention, Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 2012 | Photo by Tracie McFarlin, St. George News

UPDATED 9:15 p.m. with election results.

SALT LAKE CITY – Democratic delegates from all regions of Utah gathered at the Radisson and the Salt Palace in downtown Salt Lake City on April 20 to hear speeches by national delegate candidates and vote for the national delegates to represent them at the Democratic national convention.

Delegates could vote for three men and two women in District 2, which includes Washington County. Number of seats in other Districts vary. Votes for additional men or women would make ballots void. Each candidate had the opportunity to speak at a podium for two minutes.

“I’m Shirley Nelson, I’m from St. George,” candidate Shirley Nelson announced as she took the podium.

The audience applauded and cheered.

“I’m 72 years old and this is the most important election of my lifetime,” Nelson continued.

Candidate Dorothy Engelman is also of St. George and the audience enthusiastically cheered as she took the stage. She said that she and other Washington County Democrats made the trip to Salt Lake City to make sure Southern Utah is represented in the Democratic state convention.

“I really, really think it’s important for the state party to recognize all parts of the state,” Engelman said. “I want to say to everybody that came up from Washington County that it’s four-and-a-half hours up here and it’s really the same four-and-a- half hours the other way – but for some reason it doesn’t equate quite the same.”

Engelman said that 80 Democrats will come to Salt Lake City for the convention. She said they will wear yellow hats during the convention to show that they come from“sunny Southern Utah.”

Sunny Southern Utah delegates donning yellow hats at Utah State Democratic Party Convention, Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 2012 | Photo by Tracie McFarlin, St. George News

The results of the Utah national delegate election for the Democratic Party were announced at a sold-out dinner at the Salt Palace, each plate $50 at sponsored tables, $65 per plate for the rest.

The delegates elect are:

District 1 – Glenn Wright, Justin Miller, Kathleen Villanueva and Angela Urrea; District 2 – Weston Clark, Nicholas Hobbes, Ross Romero, Dorothy Engelman, Laura Arellano; District 3 – Jamie Hartley, Gail Turpin, Alan Anderson, Lisa Johnson, T.J. Ellerbeck; District 4 – Nicholas Holland, Jim Gonzalez, Sheryl Ginsberg, Ellen Brady and Alexandria Sadler.

L to R: Michael Small, candidate for Congessional Dist. 2, Gary Engelman, Dorothy Engelman, national delegate elect, Beverly Moore, Vivian Little, Chuck Goode, Josh Small, Kay Small, Democratic Party State Convention, Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 2012 | Photo by Tracie McFarlin, St. George News
The Lab Dogs, entertaining the Utah Democratic Party delegates at the State Nominating Convention, Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 2012 | Photo by Tracie McFarlin, St. George News
Yellow caps and tschotschkes for Washington County Democrats at the State Nominating Convention, Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 20, 2012 | Photo by Tracie McFarlin, St. George News

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Copyright 2012 St. George News.

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3 Comments

  • Dorothy Engelman April 20, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    It’s great having the St. George News coverage the Democratic Convention and I’m so excited to be elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention!

  • GSR June 24, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    Best place to find info on Democratic candidates in Ewashington and Iron Counties?

    • Avatar photo Joyce Kuzmanic June 24, 2014 at 3:26 pm

      GSR, we have set a section on St. George News for Election 2014. Linked here: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/category/news/politics/election-2014/
      You will see all our stories relevant to this year’s election, several pertaining to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
      After today’s Republican Primary, we will begin to zero in on the races between candidates going forward to the November election. You will see more reports forthcoming on all party candidates now that the ballot will be set.
      I hope that helps?
      ST. GEORGE NEWS | STGnews.com
      Joyce Kuzmanic
      Editor in Chief

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