Utah has been rocked recently by the past three attorneys general who have clearly taken advantage of the office. So I was interested in, and equally disappointed by, the op-ed I read in a recent Salt Lake Tribune: “After decades of scandals, it’s time for an experienced and honest attorney general in Utah,” by Michelle Quist. The headline makes perfect sense but the author’s remedy doesn’t.
I note and fully disclose that I ran and lost the race for Utah attorney general not once, but twice. Both times I ran as a Democrat.
Quist says, “Politics don’t belong in law enforcement.” OK, but every county sheriff in the state is elected in a partisan political election. And there’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot this year, Amendment C, to keep that in place. No one has even sniffed at opposing that.
I disagree with the “law enforcement” designation anyway. Our past few A.G.s have touted themselves as “Utah’s Top Cop,” which is actually an insult to the real women and men who wear a badge and a uniform every day to serve and protect the rest of us. None of our recent A.G.s are or were cops at all.
The people of Utah have for many years enjoyed the privilege of electing their attorney general. And like it or not, even in the municipal nonpartisan elections we all know who the Republican candidate is, who the Democrat is and who is truly an independent. It helps voters understand their ideologies, their beliefs, and their backgrounds. That helps most voters understand something about the people they are voting for. And often that something is important to voters.
Don’t change the political system in response to a couple of really bad apples. Vote them out and elect the best person for the job.
Utah has a chance to get it right in 2024. My guess is that we will.
Greg Skordas, Salt Lake City
