As a candidate for the Utah State Senate in District 15 (Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Sandy, Midvale, West Jordan and South Jordan), I have a rather unique distinction: For hundreds of voters who I’ve talked to at doors and at events, they are splitting their tickets and I am the only Republican they are voting for this year. I consider this a profound honor — and important for the health of our politics.
In 1984, nearly 44% of United States congressional districts were won by a member of one party on the presidential level and another at the congressional level. In 2020, that number fell to its lowest level in over a century — less than 4%. While many do a good job of professing “people over party,” we too often ask for others to practice what they preach while rarely doing so ourselves.
The polarization that has infected our political discourse has been a concern to almost everyone I know — from the most ruby red conservative to dyed-in-the-wool progressives. The difficulty is that we can’t agree on who or what the problem is.
We are all good at casting the blame at the feet of the perceived enemy — whether it’s Republicans calling all Democrats socialists or Democrats believing all Republicans are MAGA. The supposed answer to either side of our divide is quite simple: Polarization in our politics will be best solved if our side gets its way all of the time and if we collectively refuse to elect anyone who hails from the opposition party.
The reality is that the only way to move our politics forward is to set aside political labels and to choose individuals who eschew partisan rhetoric and actually govern, regardless of party affiliation. That is the candidate I am running to be — and my message is resonating.
As president of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, a non-partisan private non-profit, I have built collaborative relationships with environmental leaders and industrial executives, progressive elected officials and conservative legislators — and everyone in between. In this capacity, I have helped attract billions of dollars in investments to bolster Utah’s economy, worked with communities and businesses across Utah and prioritized responsible growth and resource conservation while advancing economic prosperity.
In my campaign, I’ve been endorsed by seven current and former mayors of cities in my district and have the backing of dozens of bipartisan supporters, including a diverse coalition of city council members, education leaders, the Governing Group PAC (founded by Becky Edwards) and I have the endorsements of former Governor Gary Herbert and Congressman John Curtis.
I have personally knocked on thousands of doors, made hundreds of phone calls and have built a volunteer base of dozens of community members across the political spectrum.
I am running on a platform of issues that transcend politics — from attainable housing to taking real action on conservation and the climate, to investing in the best education possible for our children — including my three young daughters. I will enter the Legislature with dozens of deep relationships, ready to move the needle further on areas that require renewed focus and energy.
I have run a campaign willing to stand up to extremism on my own side, even at significant political risk. Faced with dozens of vocal delegates and partisans, I have defended the integrity of Utah’s elections, opposed the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola project and refused to endorse Donald Trump — whom I have never voted for and never will.
My opponent, Sen. Kathleen Riebe, has consistently been one of least effective members of the Utah State Senate in passing legislation, based on the number of her bills that became law. She has chosen to be combative rather than collaborative, used her platform to mock a colleague’s cancer diagnosis and has run for a congressional district with boundaries that didn’t even cover a portion of our senate district. I believe the message of her campaign has been, in essence: Vote for me because of the party I hail from, not the record I’ve produced. While I respect her service to the community, both in the Legislature and in our community schools, I don’t believe that message or record reflects the effectiveness our community needs with the challenges and opportunities we face.
This year, the voters of Senate District 15 have an important choice to make: Will we continue to fuel polarization by electing someone simply because of the letter after their name? Or will we look beyond party labels to determine who can actually deliver on the policies and priorities the vast majority of those of us in the middle share?
Come Nov. 5, I am confident that voters throughout Senate District 15 will come together — no matter how they vote on the rest of their ballot — and choose governing over grievance, building bridges over constructing barriers and implementing policy over personal attacks. I hope to earn your vote to deliver on that vision.
(Scott Cuthbertson) Scott Cuthbertson is running for the Utah State Senate to represent District 15.
Scott Cuthbertson is running for the Utah State Senate to represent District 15. The views in this article are the author’s and not necessarily those of the author’s employer, organization or other group.
