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Article from Policy Perspectives (http://www.imakenews.com/cppa/e_article000701873.cfm?x=b6Gdd3k,b30DNQvw,w) November 27, 2006 Western Primary Update The Westward Trend in Presidential Elections by Jennifer Robinson, Research Associate, CPPA

Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. and Governor Bill Richardson joined more than 150 other officials and academics from across the Intermountain West for the Western Presidential Primary Symposium in this fall. The Symposium, hosted by the Center for Public Policy & Administration, explored the benefits and challenges of implementing a regional presidential primary in 2008.

Three states—, Arizona, and New Mexico—will be part of the Western Presidential Primary on February 5, 2008. That puts the Western Primary fifth in the presidential campaign season, behind Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. This is getting the West noticed by both Democrats and Republicans. “The path to the presidency is still gonna be through Iowa and New Hampshire. But what’s happened now is the West has a voice and a real choice in the selection of the next American president,” said Governor Bill Richardson. “The era when Western states, like Montana in 2004, would not receive one single presidential candidate visit, Democrat or Republican, is over. No longer will the West be a flyover state for presidential candidates. The presidential primary season, Western states and Western issues, will be at center stage. So hosting these early primaries in the 2008 election cycle is a victory for Western states. But it’s good for the country as well.”

Several other states are interested in moving their primary dates to February 5, 2008, including Montana and Idaho. Montana Governor, Brian Schweitzer, attended the signing of Utah’s legislation last spring, signifying his support of the Western Presidential Primary. Montana Secretary of State, Brad Johnson, who attended the Symposium in Salt Lake City, also signaled his support of a Western Primary. During the Q&A with Governor Bill Richardson, Sec. Johnson asked: “Would you be willing to come visit our great state and help me sell this as we move toward the next session?” It is expected that legislation will be introduced in the 2007 session in Montana. From Republican Governor Huntsman to Democratic Governor Schweitzer, the evidence is clear, both Republicans and Democrats support a Western Primary.

The Western Primary, for many of the symposium’s panelists, is just one element of a broader strategy to get Western issues noticed. Most panelists, both Democrats and Republicans, agreed that Western issues are simply ignored by presidential candidates, as well as others inside the beltway.

“Now, therefore, not surprisingly, we have some uniquely western issues that sometimes aren’t paid enough attention to by policy makers and leaders in Washington, like water, like public lands, like nuclear waste, like school trust lands, and issues around energy development,” said Governor Huntsman. “When presidential contenders are as familiar with the PLT Program (Payment in Lieu of Taxes, if anybody is interested in that), as they are with ethanol produced in Iowa, then we will have accomplished our goal.”

Pam Inmann, Executive Director of the Western Governors’ Association, said a regional primary would force candidates to discuss traditionally Western issues. And according to Natalie Gochnour, Vice President of the Salt Lake Chamber, that is something that has not been done in the past. “We’re not only left out, we’re disenfranchised. We’re on the outside looking in on the most important national election. We have an obligation to use the primary as a strategic building block to political relevancy,” said Gochnour.

It appears that the West is already becoming more politically relevant. During the 2006

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mid-term elections the West became an election battleground. The president made several campaign stops in the West just days before the November election, including stops in Elko, Nevada and Billings, Montana. “American politics has always been defined (or imprisoned) by Mason and Dixon, by regional rifts engendered by slavery, the Civil War and the Bible Belt. But now the relevant names are Lewis and Clark. The westward trend is clear. For the first time, leaders of the House and Senate are from the Far West” (Fineman 2006).

The success of Western Democrats in the 2006 mid-term elections “mean both national parties will pay more attention to the West,” says Michael Stratton, a Democratic campaign strategist in Denver. "It sets the grounds for the candidacy of a president who can speak Western issues." (Kasindorf and Kenworthy 2006). “There are probably five presidential candidates who have full-time organizers in Nevada as we speak, actively working for the democratic ticket so that they have a leg up for January of 2008,” said Mike Stratton. It also appears that Denver may host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. John Hickenlooper, Mayor of Denver, along with governors and other officials from the West, is working to secure the city’s bid. “The event could help raise the profile of a region that has become increasingly important to both major political parties,” Hickenlooper said (Sarche 2006). Republican front runners have Western roots (Sen. John McCain from Arizona, Massachusetts Gov. , a member of the Utah-based Mormons). Spanish-speaking Democrats (Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut) can go native” (Fineman 2006).

Most panelists who spoke at The Western Presidential Primary Symposium agreed that a Western Primary would force presidential candidates to learn about Western issues. “It would be a news story to see the candidates come out here to the Intermountain West and start talking about some of these issues,” said Martin Kasindorf of USA TODAY. “Now, of course, they talk about healthcare and education. But they would, I believe, have to talk about [Western issues] because the local news media would ask them about Western regional issues. And if they want their time on TV, and if they want to have their individual one-on-one interviews with the local stations, they better know these local issues. The national press traveling with them who are watching what they do and what they say would pick up on that as a news story. This is something new in American presidential primaries, Western issues.” And according to political strategist, Mike Gehrke, when candidates visit a state, and talk with people, it changes their outlook and perspective on issues.

The Western States Primary Symposium was sponsored by Micron, Chevron, Intermountain Power Agency, Utah Republican Party, Utah Association of Financial Services, , the Hinckley Institute of Politics, Western Policy Research Center, and the Center for Public Policy & Administration. For more information about the symposium, please contact Jennifer Robinson at 801-585-3048 or [email protected].

References: Fineman, Howard. 2006. “How the West is being Won.” Newsweek. November 20.

Kasindorf, Martin, and Tom Kenworthy. 2006. “Behind Democrats' climb in Mountain West.” USA TODAY. November 21.

Sarche, Jon. 2006. “Denver gets help in bid to land '08 Dem convention.” Associated Press. November 20.

Vergakis, Brock. 2006. “Utah looks to move up, push Western presidential primary.” Associated Press. April 1.

Western Governors’ Association. 2004. Western Governors’ Association Policy Resolution 4-13 “Western States Presidential Caucus/Primary.” http://www.westgov.org/wga/policy/04/caucus.pdf

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Western Presidential Primary Symposium. 2006. http://www.westernpolicynetwork.org/2006_Symposium.html

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