Democrat Peter Clemens to launch listening tour
Democrat Peter Clemens, who is running against Rob Bishop, energizes the crowds as they wait in line, sometimes for over an hour, during the Democratic caucus at Mt. Ogden Jr. High in Ogden Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (BRIAN NICHOLSON/Special to the Standard-Examiner)
Peter Clemens, the Democratic challenger in Utah's 1st Congressional race, is launching a listening tour to launch in Park City Sept. 13 and span a series of town halls in seven cities including Clearfield, Garland, Layton, Logan, Ogden and Roy, culminating Oct. 18.
Democrat Peter Clemens, who is running against Rob Bishop, energizes the crowds as they wait in line, sometimes for over an hour, during the Democratic caucus at Mt. Ogden Jr. High in Ogden Tuesday, March 22, 2016. (BRIAN NICHOLSON/Special to the Standard-Examiner)
NORTH OGDEN — Can a hard-working Democrat unseat seven-term Republican incumbent Rob Bishop in Utah’s 1st Congressional race?
The last Democrat to represent the 1st District was K. Gunn McKay, who held the seat for five terms from 1971 through 1980. But Peter Clemens, a North Ogden resident and physician, aims to turn the red slot blue this November.
With that goal in mind, Clemens will launch a listening tour that will span seven cities across the far-flung district. Locations and dates include:
* Park City — 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, at Fellowship Hall of the Park City Community Church, 4501 N. Highway 224
* Layton — 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, in City Council Chambers, 437 N. Wasatch Dr.
* Logan — 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Logan’s Historic Courthouse at 199 N. Main St.
* Roy — 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the Southwest Branch Library, 2039 W. 4004 South.
* Clearfield — 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 28, in the Davis County Library, 562 S. 1000 East
* Ogden — 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the Village Inn, 322 12th St.
* Garland — 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, in the Garland Community Resource Center, 1386 S. Main St.
“These ‘Listening Tours’ will create an opportunity for voters to share their messages with me. I’m excited to learn more about what matters most to my fellow Utahns,” Clemens said in a recent statement.
A retired Captain in the US Army Reserves, Clemens said he’s committed to Veterans’ Affairs as well as clean air, public health, education, and economic growth. In the past, Clemens has blasted Bishop for hefty campaign contributions he attracts from corporate and out-of-state donors, and also for focusing so much time on issues he believes have little impact on residents in Utah’s 1st District.
More information about his platform and his campaign can be found on Clemen’s website.
Learn more about Bishop’s stands on various issues on his website.
At 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, Bishop and Clemens will face off in an hour-long debate hosted by the Walker Institute and Utah Debate Commission in the Austad Auditorium of the Val A. Browning at Weber State University. Candidate questions can be submitted to utahdebatecommission.org.
Contact reporter Cathy McKitrick at 801-625-4214 or cmckitrick@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @catmck.