To say that Salt Lake Tribune readers may not agree with the editors’ choice of Orrin Hatch as Utahn of Year could be a colossal understatement.
After all, Utah’s senior senator finished next to last in an unscientific online poll of potential nominees.
Far and away, the survey winner — towering over all others, including 7-foot Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert and University of Utah nurse Alex Wubbels — was Savannah, the brave 13-year-old from Eagle Mountain who came out as a lesbian while bearing her testimony during a Mormon sacrament meeting.
Here are the results from The Tribune’s survey:
Savannah, LGBTQ advocate, 1,040
Dine Bikeyah, tribal coalition, 341
Alex Wubbels, U. nurse, 190
“Dreamers,” young immigrants, 150
Christine Durham, retiring Utah justice, 145
Gail Miller, Jazz owner, 147
Ryan McKnight, Mormon leaker, 83
Spencer Cox, lieutenant governor, 79
#MeToo, sexual misconduct victims, 60
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Mormon leader, 58
Greg Hughes and Ben McAdams, officials leading homeless effort, 51
Jan Chamberlin, anti-Trump former Mormon Tabernacle singer, 46
Mike Noel, legislator, 30
Nathan Chen, figure skating champ, 28
Peter Metcalf, outdoor recreation executive, 27
Jim Bennett and Richard Davis, formed new political party, 26
Rebecca Benally, San Juan commissioner (write-in), 17
John Curtis, new congressman, 14
Orrin Hatch, longtime senator, 14
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz center, 5
Again, The Tribune’s designation is a recognition of a newsmaker’s influence or impact — for good or ill — not necessarily an honor for laudatory achievements.
