Opinion
Highland City Councilor: Utah County Republican Party issuing endorsements in municipal elections, “Deeply troubling”
Dear Editor,
This year’s municipal elections mark a historic and troubling shift for Utah County. For the first time, a partisan political party has chosen to endorse candidates in races that have always been nonpartisan. These endorsements reportedly required both a fee and a pledge of loyalty to the party’s platform.
Early results suggest that these party-endorsed candidates have swept the nonpartisan races. This development raises serious concerns about the future of local governance, voter choice, and the integrity of Utah’s long-standing tradition of nonpartisan municipal elections.
I urge your newsroom to investigate and report on this significant change in our county’s electoral landscape. Transparency and public awareness are vital as we navigate this new and concerning chapter in Utah’s political history.
As a current city council member, I have served on the Legislative Policy Committee of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, where I’ve worked to defend local authority from state overreach—often pushed through Republican-sponsored bills. I am grateful that I have never pledged loyalty to any party, as doing so would compromise my ability to put my city’s interests first. The idea of requiring such a pledge for a local race seems deeply misguided and contrary to the spirit of local service.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Ron Campbell
Highland City Council
