CACHE COUNTY – Perennial local candidate Keegan Garrity will finally get the chance to try his hand at working in government, rather than observing its operations from the sidelines.
The longtime advocate of district-based voting in Logan municipal elections won the GOP nod for Logan Seat 1 on the Cache County Council at the Republican Nominating Convention on April 13.
Although he had been a voice for moderation in recent conflicts within the county’s government, incumbent long-time council member Kent Ward proved vulnerable to the GOP delegates’ growing frustration with Cache County business as usual.
Of the admittedly tiny 48 ballots cast in that district, Garrity won 70.83 percent of the delegate’s votes, compared to 29.17 percent for Ward.
Garrity is now bound for the Nov. 5 General Election and, given the realities of local politics, appears to be certain to take over Logan Seat 1 in January of 2025.
In his five-minute campaign pitch, Garrity’s remarks that it was possible “… to disagree, without being disagreeable” and that “… residents are tired of council members airing their personal grievances in public” drew spontaneous applause from the GOP delegates to the convention.
Frustration with the status quo also seemed evident in other balloting throughout the day on April 13.
Other than county council member Barbara Tidwell, whose uncontested candidacy was endorsed by acclamation, other incumbent council members found themselves forced into the unfamiliar territory of primary run-offs by the sometimes surprising results of the convention balloting.
In the Council District South race, former county recorder Devron Anderson secured 53.06 of the 98 votes cast, compared to council member Nolan Gunnell’s 46.94 percent of those ballots.
Even council chair David Erickson had a bad day at the convention. In the Council North District, Erickson came out second-best to newcomer Jon-David Jorgensen, where he managed to capture only 42 percent compared to the challenger’s 52 percent of the 98 ballots cast.
Both of those contests will now be decided during the June 25 statewide GOP primary.
In other local uncontested races, the GOP delegates endorsed the candidacies of the three incumbent office holders by acclamation. In addition to the aforementioned Tidwell, they were County Recorder Tennille Johnson, County Treasurer Craig McAllister and County Assessor Brett Robinson.
At state level, the local GOP delegates also approved the uncontested re-election bids of incumbents Chris Wilson in Senate District 2; Thomas Peterson in House District 1; Michael J. Petersen in House District 2; and Casey Snider in House District 5.