As presidential elections and midterms start to heat up, it’s tempting to get caught up in what candidates say in their ads and in what pundits are opining about on TV or on podcasts.
But what issues are actually on the minds of Utah voters? And what do candidates — not pundits — have to say about what matters most to Utahns?
In the spring, we surveyed Salt Lake Tribune readers about what was most important to them in the 2024 election.
You told us poor air quality, saving the Great Salt Lake, immigration, abortion access, climate change and government accountability were some of the top issues you were considering when casting your ballot this year. And that was true across the political spectrum.
Armed with this information, along with a little collaborative input from our talented Statewatch team, we got to work. In September, we reached out to nearly 200 candidates in congressional, statewide, state school board and a number of county races to survey their positions on these issues.
This resulted in more than 70 separate voter guides — including responses from candidates in 50 legislative races, six state school board contests, and the Salt Lake County Council and mayoral elections.
Unfortunately, some of the candidates who are likely to represent the most number of Utahns in coming years did not respond.
Not a single Republican running for Congress, including Rep. John Curtis, who will likely be Utah’s next U.S. senator, responded to the survey. Incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox also refused — as he did in the primary — to respond to questions on the issues you told us are important.
We heard from all of the Democratic candidates in those congressional races, and four of five of the third-party contenders. In the statewide races, half of Republicans responded, all of the Democrats replied, and two-thirds of third-party candidates answered the questions.
As long as one candidate in the race — regardless of political party — responded to the survey, we published the voter guide.
(Trevor Christensen | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tribune editors and reporters work through coverage on primary election night, Tuesday, June 24, 2024.
My reasons to publish these voter guides were not vindictive or malicious, nor were they with bias or partisanship. Because Utah’s officials are charged with serving the constituents who elected them to be stewards of our resources and well-being, I want The Tribune’s reporting to ensure those in power are held accountable.
And, per what you told us earlier this year, government accountability is one of your top issues in this year’s elections.
On Election Day, and likely into the early hours Wednesday morning, dozens of Tribune journalists — supported by your subscriptions, donations and trust — will report on how the future of our democracy is unfolding. We’ll write stories, take photos and videos, share breaking news alerts directly to your phones, and push emails and social media posts capturing the minute-to-minute developments of the election. You can find it all at sltrib.com, with or without a Tribune subscription.
While I believe shedding light on the actions, or inactions, of powerful people and institutions — regardless of party or belief — is part of our mission, our journalism does not, in fact, hold anyone to account. You do.
The facts and photos, the newsletters and breaking news alerts we’ve been publishing for months I hope will have already armed you to make informed decisions on the candidates and issues that matter most to you.
On Tuesday, you decide what government accountability looks like in Utah.
Jeff Parrott is The Salt Lake Tribune’s Statewatch editor and oversees the newspaper’s politics and elections coverage.
