Todd Weiler - Utah GOP Vice-Chair

What are your plans to get the Party out of debt?

The party will be out of debt before the June 9th convention. Therefore, the question really is what should be done to keep the party out of debt in the future. This can and will be accomplished by keeping costs down and increasing revenue. My job as vice chair will be to help raise enough money to ensure the party remains debt free. This can and will be accomplished by resurrecting the Ronald Reagan Club, improving relations with elected officials, and sponsoring more events such as the Legislative Breakfast and Golf Tournament. I will also ask state party officials (including the National Committeeman and Committeewoman) to report each quarter to the State Central Committee on their fundraising efforts and activities.

How can the GOP be more competitive in Salt Lake and Weber Counties?

We first need to recognize that inner-city residents in large metropolitan areas like Salt Lake City and Ogden generally vote with the Democrats. Accordingly, we need to target the races that make sense and use our resources where they will make the most difference. Considering everything, I think we were competitive in Salt Lake County in 2006. Lohra Miller won, and the race for sheriff was unfortunately lost on the golf course. There are still some fences that need to be mended in Salt Lake County due to prior scandals. We need targeted advertising campaigns and town meetings to reach out to the so-called “Matheson Republicans”. The prior election cycles have shown that moderate Republicans in Salt Lake County are not embracing conservative candidates like Swallow and Christensen – but they are embracing candidates like Gov. Huntsman and Mark Shurtleff. If we fail to learn from our mistakes, we will keep repeating them.

What is your vision for the Party?

My vision is for a strong and financially stable state party that earns the respect and admiration of elected officials and voters. My vision is for a party where delegates will focus on the 95 percent of issues they agree upon, instead of the five percent that they disagree. My primary goals are to create a more stable framework to meet the party’s financial needs, and to held Jim Matheson find new employment. The new party leaders need to rebuild trust, and regain some lost confidence. We need to streamline the process to ensure that substantive and meaningful debate can take place on important issues. The process needs to be simple and effective, and must be squeaky clean.

What role should/can the average delegate/activist have in the Party?

I believe in preserving the authority in the grassroots. The “average delegate/activist” ought to have direct access to party leaders and to suggest changes to governing documents. Although I believe that every delegate has a voice within the party, I will not support the efforts of a few attention-seeking individuals to hold large numbers of delegates hostage to their own agenda. If the chair refuses to recognize someone to speak, however, the delegates should be given the opportunity to override that decision with a simple up or down vote.