Jamie Cheek
Jamie Cheek (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Utah's 1st Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on June 30, 2020.
Cheek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2020
See also: Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)
Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Utah District 1
Blake Moore defeated Darren Parry, Taylor Lee, and Mikal Smith in the general election for U.S. House Utah District 1 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Blake Moore (R)  | 69.5 | 237,988 |
 | Darren Parry (D) | 30.4 | 104,194 | |
 | Taylor Lee (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 157 | |
| Mikal Smith (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 12 | ||
| Total votes: 342,351 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 1
Darren Parry defeated Jamie Cheek in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 1 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Darren Parry | 50.9 | 11,667 |
 | Jamie Cheek | 49.1 | 11,242 | |
| Total votes: 22,909 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- David Liggera (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 1
Blake Moore defeated Bob Stevenson, Kerry Gibson, and Katie Witt in the Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 1 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Blake Moore | 30.9 | 39,260 |
 | Bob Stevenson | 28.6 | 36,288 | |
 | Kerry Gibson | 23.6 | 29,991 | |
 | Katie Witt | 16.8 | 21,317 | |
| Total votes: 126,856 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cory Green (R)
- Taylor Lee (R)
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 1
Jamie Cheek and Darren Parry advanced from the Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 1 on April 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Jamie Cheek (D) |
| ✔ | | Darren Parry (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican convention for U.S. House Utah District 1
The following candidates ran in the Republican convention for U.S. House Utah District 1 on April 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
 | Tina Cannon (R) | |
| JC DeYoung (R) | ||
 | Douglas Durbano (R) | |
 | Chadwick H. Fairbanks III (R) | |
| ✔ | | Kerry Gibson (R) |
| Catherine Brenchley Hammon (R) | ||
 | Zachary Hartman (R) | |
| ✔ | | Blake Moore (R) |
 | Mark Shepherd (R) | |
| Howard Wallack (R) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jamie Cheek completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Cheek's responses.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Growing up in a rural area, my access to resources was limited and my family struggled to make ends meet. We relied on programs such as Free School Lunch, Medicaid and Food Stamps to survive. As a first-generation college student, I was fortunate to receive grant scholarship money, but I still had to work and take out loans to pay rent, buy food and afford textbooks. I know I am one of the success stories; I was able to able to pull myself up by 'my bootstraps.' But it was incredibly difficult and for every success story there are many more who don't make it because the deck is stacked against them. I am campaigning on issues that can make a difference in the lives of Utahns. We need to champion causes and policies that prioritize people over profits. I am also passionate about rejecting the politics of fear and hate that pervade the status quo. Utahn's are compassionate people and our values are not being represented by our politicians who remain impervious to public sentiment. It is time to elect someone different - someone who will listen to her constituents and will tirelessly work to make their lives better.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
There are several challenges the United States is facing in the next decade. And our current administration is not doing enough to address enough of them. However, there are three that are more pressing than the others. Addressing Climate Change - The Earth is literally dying from the decisions of this administration and their inability to recognize our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, it has been made worse by the Trump Administration pulling out agreements like the Paris Agreement and fighting the rights of states to add their own regulations. Free and Fair Elections - Our elections are being attacked by foreign governments. We must pass legislation to protect our the fairness of our elections and update the security around the technology used for our election process. 2016 should be a warning to all of us that we need to do more to protect our election process. Additionally, our election maps need to be addressed as gerrymandering is rampant and do not allow for fair representation of voters. We need to support states to make appropriate changes to their election maps to allow for fair elections. Income Inequality - Our middle class continues to feel the squeeze of corporate greed. The current administration continues to remove supports for our most vulnerable Americans and we need to increase access and resources to the people who need it the most. The 1% continues to control most of the wealth in this country (and the world) and we must do more to eliminate it.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first real job was working for my family's small business: Audrey's Entertainment. This business was a video store that my mother started with her parents in my small town of Newcastle, WY. I was hired and starting helping day one in 1999; this included inventorying and organizing all the videos and video games and adding all movies to our computer system. I started there at minimum wage and worked 20 hours a week while still going to high school and engaging in after school activities. This job allowed me to pay for gas and insurance for my car, my cellphone bill, and cover all my extra cash needs since I did not receive an allowance. My mother, the namesake of the business, passed away in 2003 and we continued to business and I worked there for over 5 years until I went off to college. In terms of a small business in a small town, it was very successful. However, due to the advancement of technology and the changing landscape of video rentals, Audrey's did eventually go out of business. It was not able to compete with things like Redbox or Netflix and was eventually pushed out of the market. I now have a very personal example of why we need to make sure no one falls behind when technology changes the landscape of business, we need to allow business to change and grow and not get lost in the shuffle.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
As a mother to a toddler, I think I share the same song as many other parents: Baby Shark (doo doo doo doo doo doo)...This song is amazingly catchy and has very fun lyrics, including talking about Moms, Dads and Grandmas and Grandpas! I love that my child can both sign and do the actions and she gets so much joy from both! She can literally listen to this song on repeat a dozen or more times in a row. She especially loves this song in her weekly dance class. She gets to run around while signing it and also gets to engage with others her same age. My husband and I feel strongly about enrichment for Audrey and really enjoy the opportunity these classes provide for her.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
When I was 16, my mother passed away from cancer suddenly. She was diagnosed with aggressive colon cancer at the young age of 36. She went to the doctor on New Year's Eve and she passed away on January 23rd - she only knew she was sick for less than a month. In fact, when she went to the hospital the last time, she told us it was her gallbladder, but it was actually her liver and she never came home. Losing a parent is a life altering experience and even more so in my case. My parents divorced when I was in 8th grade and my brother and I lived with our mother in Wyoming while our father moved to Idaho. My mother was my universe and when she passed, literally everything changed for me. My brother and I were forced to leave our home and move into a different trailer that was paid for by our grandmother. It took my dad several weeks to be able to move his life back to Wyoming, so my brother and I lived by ourselves and continued to go to school and be as normal as possible. Not having my mother for almost half my life has impacted me in so many ways. I have been on my own for a very long time and had to grow up basically over night. When I left my home to go to college, I never looked back because the 'home' I knew was gone forever. I had to pay my own way through college, which despite scholarships and PELL grant, I still had to take out student loans in order to meet my basic needs. I was able to graduate as a first generation college student, but it wasn't without a lot of struggle - it took me 6 years to earn my bachelor's degree. I missed my mother the most when my husband and I made the decision to start our own family. I had no one to talk to about my pregnancy or to alleviate my fears of birth. I was lucky that my mother-in-law filled in some of that role - but there is nothing that can replace that bond of when a daughter becomes a mother and a mother becomes a grandmother. I decided to honor my mother by giving my daughter her name: Audrey.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
I believe that all experiences are beneficial to representatives. I would agree that having experience in government or politics would be beneficial for a representative. This experience can help a representative understand the process of how legislation gets translated into actual services for the people that need them. However, I would argue that it is not necessary experience to have to be successful in office. 2018 showed us that anyone can be a successful candidate no matter their background. If our government is supposed to be for the people, by the people, then average people should be able to run and participate in the political process. I think career politicians frequently lose touch with their constituents and we need new, unique perspectives to all parts of our legislative process.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
There are several challenges the United States is facing in the next decade. And our current administration is not doing enough to address enough of them. However, there are three that are more pressing than the others. Addressing Climate Change - The Earth is literally dying from the decisions of this administration and their inability to recognize our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, it has been made worse by the Trump Administration pulling out agreements like the Paris Agreement and fighting the rights of states to add their own regulations. Free and Fair Elections - Our elections are being attacked by foreign governments. We must pass legislation to protect our the fairness of our elections and update the security around the technology used for our election process. 2016 should be a warning to all of us that we need to do more to protect our election process. Additionally, our election maps need to be addressed as gerrymandering is rampant and do not allow for fair representation of voters. We need to support states to make appropriate changes to their election maps to allow for fair elections. Income Inequality - Our middle class continues to feel the squeeze of corporate greed. The current administration continues to remove supports for our most vulnerable Americans and we need to increase access and resources to the people who need it the most. The 1% continues to control most of the wealth in this country (and the world) and we must do more to eliminate it.
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
I agree that two year terms are the right length for a Representative. While it does force these politicians to campaign almost constantly, I think this is good for the political process. This term length makes those elected officials hyper-responsive to their constituents. It also allows voters the ability to vote for a change when one is needed. The House of Representatives is unique in that every single one of them has to be re-elected every 2 years and you can have a large swing from one party to another. This can easily be seen with the 2018 elections, known as the 'Blue Wave,' which was largely seen as a referendum on the current administration. Imagine if those limits were 3 or 4 years? We would still be wallowing in a Republican controlled house, senate and presidency. These limits are critical to a successful Democracy.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
