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Democratic Party primaries in Utah, 2018

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Democratic Party primaries, 2018
Utah Democratic Party.jpg
Primary Date
June 26, 2018
Federal elections
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate
Democratic primaries for U.S. House
State elections
Democratic primaries for Utah legislature
State party
Democratic Party of Utah
State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[1][2]

Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018.[3] Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.[4][5][6]

Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.[7]

This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in Utah on June 26, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.


Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Utah (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
Given no Democrat has represented Utah in the U.S. Senate since 1977, the Democratic primary was not expected to be competitive. Incumbent Sen. Orrin Hatch, who was first elected in 1976, won his last bid for the seat in 2012 by 36 percentage points.

Jenny Wilson, a member of the Salt Lake County Council, reported raising the most of any Democratic candidate through the third quarter of 2017 with nearly $300,000 in receipts.[8]

To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primary, click "Show more" below.
Show more
Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Utah (June 26, 2018 Democratic primaries)
The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Utah took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected four candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's four congressional districts. To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primaries, click "Show more" below.
Show more

District 1

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 2

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:


Did not make the ballot:

District 3

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:

District 4

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

The Democratic Party primary was canceled.


    Did not make the ballot:

    State elections

    Utah Party Control: 1992-2024
    No Democratic trifectas  •  Thirty-three years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    State party overview

    See also: Democratic Party of Utah
    Democratic Party of Utah

    State political party revenue

    See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

    State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of Utah's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

    Democratic Party of Utah revenue, 2011 to 2016[9][10]
    Year Federal account State account(s) Total
    2011 $282,524.46 $284,010.63 $566,535.09
    2012 $1,282,639.10 $957,435.93 $2,240,075.03
    2013 $373,594.40 $555,572.29 $929,166.69
    2014 $628,523.70 $953,910.47 $1,582,434.17
    2015 $442,687.24 $319,476.26 $762,163.50
    2016 $3,464,947.80 $997,075.07 $4,462,022.87

    Utah compared to other states

    The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

    Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

    Primary election scheduling

    Utah was one of five states to hold a primary election on June 26, 2018.

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Utah, state law allows parties to decide who may vote in their primaries.[11] Check Vote.Utah.gov for details about upcoming elections.

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    Utah is an all-mail voting state that offers vote centers for voters that choose to vote in person. All vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Utah voters are able to vote in person at any vote center. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[12]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in Utah, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Utah for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the next general election. Pre-registration is available for 16- and 17-year-olds. 17-year-olds may vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the general election.[13] Registration can be completed online or by mailing in a form. The deadline to register online or by mail is 11 days before Election Day. After this deadline, voters may register in person at a vote center by casting a provisional ballot and providing two forms of identification.[14][13][15]

    Automatic registration

    See also: Automatic voter registration

    Utah does not practice automatic voter registration.[16]

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Utah has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    See also: Same-day voter registration

    Utah allows same-day voter registration at polling places during the 10 days preceding and on Election Day.[14][15]

    Residency requirements

    Prospective voters must be residents of the state for at least 30 days before the election.[14]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Utah does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a person who commits fraudulent registration is "guilty of a class A misdemeanor" under Utah Code 20A-2-401.[17]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[18] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The Utah lieutenant governor’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

    Voter ID requirements

    Utah requires in-person voters to present non-photo identification while voting.[19]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2025:

    “

    "Valid voter identification" means:

    • a form of identification that bears the name and photograph of the voter which may include:
      • a currently valid Utah driver license;
      • a currently valid identification card issued under Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 8, Identification Card Act;
      • a currently valid identification card that is issued by:
        • the state; or
        • a branch, department, or agency of the United States;
      • a currently valid Utah permit to carry a concealed weapon;
      • a currently valid United States passport; or
      • a currently valid United States military identification card;
    • one of the following identification cards, regardless of whether the card includes a photograph of the voter:
      • a valid tribal identification card;
      • a Bureau of Indian Affairs card; or
      • a tribal treaty card; or
    • two forms of identification not listed under Subsection (79)(a) or (b) but that bear the name of the voter and provide evidence that the voter resides in the voting precinct, which may include:
      • before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a current utility bill, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a bank or other financial account statement, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • a certified birth certificate;
      • a valid social security card;
      • an original or copy of a check issued by the state or the federal government, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • an original or copy of a paycheck from the voter's employer, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • a currently valid Utah hunting or fishing license;
      • certified naturalization documentation;
      • a currently valid license issued by an authorized agency of the United States;
      • a certified copy of court records showing the voter's adoption or name change;
      • a valid Medicaid card, Medicare card, or Electronic Benefits Transfer Card;
      • a currently valid identification card issued by:
        • a local government within the state;
        • an employer for an employee; or
        • a college, university, technical school, or professional school located within the state; or
      • a current Utah vehicle registration.[19][20]
    		 ”

    Click here for the Utah statute defining accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    Early voting

    Utah permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    Utah conducts what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections. In Utah, voting is conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to eligible electors.

    See also

    Federal primaries in Utah State primaries in Utah Utah state party apparatus Utah voter information
    CongressLogo.png
    Flag of Utah.png
    Seal of Utah.png
    Election Policy Logo.png

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ CNN, "Why a 'federal jobs guarantee' is gaining steam with Democrats," April 26, 2018
    2. ↑ The Atlantic, "What ‘Abolish ICE’ Actually Means," July 11, 2018
    3. ↑ CNBC, "Despite Ocasio-Cortez upset, Democratic primaries have not gone as far left as some argue," June 28, 2018
    4. ↑ New York Times, "There Is a Revolution on the Left. Democrats Are Bracing." July 21, 2018
    5. ↑ New York Times, "Democrats Are Moving Left. Don’t Panic," July 23, 2018
    6. ↑ Time, "How Democrats in Congress Responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Surprise Win," June 28, 2018
    7. ↑ CNN, "9 Democratic primaries to watch in 2018," October 26, 2017
    8. ↑ FEC.gov, "2018 House and Senate Campaign Finance for Utah ," accessed October 24, 2017
    9. ↑ Utah Lieutenant Governor—Elections, "Campaign Finance," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Utah Republican Party (State) and Utah Democratic State Party)
    10. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate and Committee Viewer," accessed May 2016 (Search terms Utah Republican Party and Utah State Democratic Committee)
    11. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code § 20A-9-403. Regular primary elections." accessed May 13, 2025
    12. ↑ Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-1-302. Opening and closing of polls on election day.” accessed May 13, 2025
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-2-101. Eligibility for registration.” accessed May 13, 2025
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Utah Lieutenant Governor, “Welcome to the Utah Voter Registration Website,” accessed May 13, 2025
    15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Utah State Legislature, “20A-2-207. Registration by provisional ballot.” accessed May 13, 2025
    16. ↑ NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed May 13, 2025
    17. ↑ Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-2-401. Fraudulent registration -- Penalty.” accessed May 13, 2025
    18. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code 20A-1-102. Definitions." accessed May 13, 2025
    20. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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    Party primaries by state, 2018
    Republican primaries, 2018
    Democratic primaries, 2018
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