Primary Elections | Today!

Today is primary election day in Utah, and I voted! I chose to vote for Dan Liljenquist because he is eloquent, bright and brings a new perspective to "the Old Boys club". 

Here's what Brooke Liljenquist, Dan's wife has to say about him: 

1. Dan has a unique set of skills and abilities that I feel are crucial for this particular moment in our nation's history. He graduated with high honors in Economics from BYU then received his law degree from the University of Chicago. Then, instead of practicing law, he joined Bain Consulting (yes, the same as Mitt Romney) with their Dallas office. At Bain he received invaluable training in fixing broken companies by studying the data, identifying core problems and coming up with innovative solutions to make those companies profitable again, usually within a matter of months. If ever our country needed a corporate turnaround team, it is NOW.


2. Dan has already put those skills to use in the Utah Legislature. Dan was elected to the Utah State Senate in 2008 and during his time there he tackled the state's two biggest bankruptcy risks with pension reform and Medicaid reform. I won't go into detail on the reforms (write me back if you want me to) but I will highlight a few takeaways from these reforms. First, he takes on the tough issues and makes hard choices even when it's not popular (and pension reform was NOT popular). He doesn't do what it takes to get re-elected, he does what it takes to keep our state on sustainable financial footing. Second, he makes his case with data and logic and without name-calling or blaming others for the problem. This is why the 2011 Medicaid reforms were unanimous- every Republican and every Democrat voted for them.


3. Dan understands the role of a US Senator. When our nation was founded, the "Great Compromise" of the Constitution was the creation of the US Senate. The founders understood that, to avoid the centralization of power in one branch or the capital, that the states needed to be represented equally. That is the role of a US senator- to represent their individual state. Dan, because he did serve in Utah's legislature and has good relationships with those still there, will take with him an understanding of the unique issues Utah faces and will fight for those issues. He will represent Utah to Washington, not the other way around.


4. He is a GOOD man. I know I may be a little biased, but I feel very blessed and grateful that I can say I respect my husband and know him to be a man of integrity and kindness. He is great at building bridges instead of driving wedges, which is something I think Washington needs desperately right now. In saying this I am not saying Senator Hatch is not a good man. I believe he is. I also believe he has been there too long to be able to see things differently and to make a change in the direction of our country. We need fresh perspective in Washington if we want to change course.

If you haven't voted, or are still deciding--definitely take a look at Dan (www.danforutah.com), it is well worth your time!