CEDAR CITY — As the June primary election approaches, candidates in selected Iron County races are actively working to secure enough votes to advance to the November general election.
The races to be narrowed down via the June 28 primary include two Iron County Commission seats, with Republican incumbents Mike Bleak and Paul Cozzens each facing a challenger from within their own party. Destry Griffiths is challenging Bleak’s bid for reelection, while Steve Miller is seeking to unseat Cozzens.
Additionally, incumbent state Sen. Evan Vickers (R-Cedar City) is being challenged by fellow GOP member Patrick Larson for the District 28 seat that Vickers has held since 2013.
Registered Republicans throughout Iron County should begin receiving their primary ballots in the mail starting the second week of June, according to Iron County Clerk Jonathan Whittaker.
In addition to all registered GOP voters in the county, any Iron County residents who live within school board districts 4 and 5 will be receiving a non-partisan primary ballot in the mail, as both of those races currently have three candidates each.
In District 4, school board incumbent Dale Brinkerhoff is running for reelection against challengers Mary Foremaster and Stephanie Hill. And in District 5, three newcomers have thrown their hats in the ring, namely Tiffiney Christiansen, Billy Davis and Steve Merrill. In both of those school board races, the June primary election will narrow the field from three candidates to two, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the November ballot and the other one being eliminated.
A public debate to which all of the above candidates have been invited has been scheduled for the evening of June 13 at Southern Utah University. The event is being organized and sponsored by SUU’s Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service.
Following a meet-and-greet session with the candidates from 5:30-6 p.m., the two-hour moderated debate is scheduled to take place from 6-8 p.m. inside the Great Hall of the Hunter Conference Center.
Members of the public are invited to attend the event, which is also scheduled to be streamed live on the Leavitt Center’s Facebook page.
On a separate but related note, local podcaster Dan Kidder recently conducted head-to-head interviews with candidates for both county commissioner races and for both school board races. In five sessions recorded between May 18 and May 27 in his private studio in Cedar City, Kidder had the various candidates respond to a series of questions and provide rebuttals to their opponent’s answers.
Audio recordings of the programs (which are each around 40-50 minutes long) can be found on the “What’s Really Happening in Southern Utah” podcast page or via the Iron County Elections private Facebook group.
In addition to the various local races already mentioned, registered Republican voters in Iron County will also see two federal races on their primary ballots. Sen. Mike Lee, who is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate, is being challenged by both Becky Edwards and Ally Isom. And in U.S. House District 2, incumbent Rep. Chris Stewart is up against challenger Erin Rider.
Voters will have until June 28 to return their primary ballots, either by mail (must be postmarked by June 27) or by dropping them off in person at selected official locations.
Event details
- What: Iron County primary election debate.
- When: Monday, June 13, 6-8 p.m., with meet-and-greet starting at 5:30 p.m.
- Where: The Great Hall in the Hunter Conference Center on the Southern Utah University campus, Cedar City.
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