SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Democratic Party has announced the guest speaker for their upcoming statewide convention on April 27.
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) will address Democratic delegates at that gathering, which is scheduled to take place at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City.
“Congresswoman Stansbury shares the Utah Democratic Party’s pro-family values,” according to Diane Lewis, the chair of the UDP. “She has done the work to ensure that families have the resources they need.”
Representing the city of Albuquerque and most of its suburbs in Congress since 2021, Stansbury is something of a rock-star in New Mexico politics.
She holds degrees in human ecology and natural science from St. Mary’s College in California as well as a master’s degree in developmental sociology with a minor in American Indian studies from Cornell University.
Stansbury began her career as an ecology instructor at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. As a White House Fellow, she worked as a policy advisor to the Council on Environmental Quality and a program examiner in the Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration.
Stansbury ran unopposed for the 28th District seat in the New Mexico House of Representative in 2018, where Lewis says she tackled issues relating to conservation, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Stansbury won the right to take the 1st District of New Mexico seat in Congress in a landslide special election after President Joe Biden nominated former Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) to serve as his Secretary of the Interior.
In Washington, Lewis praised Stansbury for addressing issues of food insecurity, disparities in healthcare coverage and climate change.
In addition to her appearance at the Democratic convention, Stansbury will also address supporters at the annual Taylor & Mayne Award Dinner on April 26.
At their convention gathering, Utah Democrats are expected to endorse several candidates for state elective offices in the upcoming general election.
Those hopefuls include Brian King for Utah Governor, Catherine Voutaz for State Auditor, Neil Hansen for State Treasurer and Tom Liljegen for local State House District 2.
Also in the running for the Democratic nomination are Rudy Bautista and David Carlson for Attorney General and Claudia Bigler and Chris Reed for local House District 1
At the Taylor & Mayne Award Dinner on April 26, Lewis will present the Todd Taylor Democratic Gain Award to organizer and activist Terri Goodall and the Ed Mayne Labor Champion Award to former state lawmaker and union leader Liz Wright.
That event is slated to take place at the Ken Garff Scholarship Club in Salt Lake City. Tickets for the Taylor & Mayne Award Dinner are available at https://www.utahdemocrats.org/2024-taylor-mayne
For more information about the Democratic convention on April 27, residents are advised to contact Mason Hughes at 801-830-0645 or via e-mail at press@utdem.org