Republican voters cast their ballots for change in Tuesday’s primary election, shying away from a strong showing of incumbents and party favorites outlined at the Wasatch County Republican Party nominating convention in April.  More than 250 party members, a 90% quorum, gathered at the nomina ting convention as Republican delegates cast and hand-counted ballots for candidates. By the end of that night, there was only one clear winner.  William Brett Vance, a Republican Wasatch County Council Seat A candidate, was the only GOP nominee to secure 60% of the delegate vote. Vance competed against former Wasatch County Councilor Steve Farrell in the convention.  Candidates have the option to choose the convention process, the signature-gathering process or both. Both Vance and Farrell opted only for the convention process.  “My fighter pilot ethos jumped all over the convention process and rejected signature-gathering out of hand,” Vance said in a prepared email statement. “I chose the caucus/nominating convention path because I wanted the scrutiny of hundreds of delegates, precinct officials and party leaders.” Candidates who choose the signature-gathering process must gather signatures from 3% of registered voters in their party who are residents of the relevant area, according to state code. That’s what Seat A candidate Rachel Kahler opted for. When she meet the requirements to appear on the ballot, a primary election was triggered between Kahler and the convention nominee.  Kahler appeared to secure her Republican candidacy for Seat A in Tuesday’s primary election, earning over 51% of the vote and 2,694 ballots in her favor while Vance held just under 49% of the vote with 2,566 ballots cast for him.  “The signature route really met my personal objective in running for County Council, and that was connecting with people,” Kahler said, adding that she met with more than 400 people. “It’s a legal pathway to putting your name on the ballot, and I still stand by that.” Kahler is not the only upset in the primary race when it comes to Republican Party favorites. After two rounds of voting at the nominating convention, Wasatch County Sheriff Jared Rigby walked out as the top vote-getter, though he failed to secure the 60% needed to become the party nominee.  The first count found Rigby with 116 votes in his favor while Wasatch County Emergency Management Director Jeremy Hales had 89 and Summit County Detective Eric Mainord had 44. A second vote without Mainord found Rigby with 115 ballots in his favor and Hales with 104.  Because all the sheriff candidates chose the signature-gathering process as well as the convention process, and because no one earned 60% of the delegate vote, a primary election was required. Mainord eventually dropped out of the race ahead of the primary election.  But on Tuesday, Rigby did not end the night with a win. According to preliminary election results, Hales earned 1,715 more votes than Rigby. Primary results show Hales leading with more than 66% of the vote or 3,442 ballots cast in his favor while Rigby held just over 33% of the vote with 1,727 ballots cast in his favor.  Hales said that though he did not win at the nominating convention, the slim margin in April was enough to make him hopeful moving forward and he began to further his campaign.  “It was really a lot of work, getting out there and meeting people,” Hales said. “I feel like the people saw that I was, my campaign was, who I exactly was. I was open, I was honest and I was transparent.” Meanwhile, Rigby continued his work as Wasatch County sheriff. He also became ensnared in a criminal investigation by the Summit County Attorney’s Office for obstruction of justice.  Rigby did not respond to numerous requests for comment by the time of publication. Park City Recorder Michelle Kellogg was only GOP candidate who performed well at both the nominating convention and in the election. She is leading in the race for Wasatch County clerk-auditor. In April, Kellogg succeeded at the nominating convention over incumbent Clerk-Auditor Joey Granger, who worked the election while campaigning to retain her seat. Kellogg walked away with 59% of the vote and 148 ballots in her favor — nearly making her the party nominee.  “After I got that majority vote at the convention, it was very encouraging to me to keep going and keep getting my message out there,” Kellogg said.  Wasatch County GOP Vice Chair Patty Sprunt said she is a great believer in the convention process. Before she became vice chair, Sprunt was a fellow delegate looking to represent her community at the caucus and nominating convention.  Talking as “just Patty” and not as the Republican Party vice chair, Sprunt said she believes the convention process provides a way for the community to gather and work toward a common goal: electing the best candidates for their party.  As a state delegate, Sprunt said she would walk from door to door to better understand the wants and needs of her community.  “I try to not favor one candidate or another, I just give them my impressions from the candidate meetings I’ve gone to,” Sprunt said. “That’s what I love about convention, caucus … this is something that’s gone on in other states for decades, and it’s just a way to basically reach into neighborhoods and get people who represent their values and their concerns.” Sprunt said, in a time where the Wasatch County community relies on the news for most information, gathering as a party removes bias and offers connection.  “When you have just neighborhood human beings trying to do their best and care about our communities, I feel like the best results happen,” Sprunt said.  Though Sprunt recognizes that some Republican Party favorites did not win the primary election, she said she has had a “front row seat” to the candidates’ campaigns.  “I will just say this, I respect anyone who’s willing to get out there and run for office,” Sprunt said. Results of the primary election will be finalized at the upcoming County Council meeting on Wednesday. Some winners of the primary election will go on to face challengers in the general election this November. The post Primary election results diverge from Wasatch County Republican Party convention picks appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less