Ward, Ballard collect wins in primary elections for Legislature
FARMINGTON — In Davis County’s Republican primary races for the Utah State House of Representatives, an incumbent and a housewife now move on to November’s general election.
Current State House District 19 Rep. Raymond Ward handily defeated Republican challenger Phill Wright, 66.53 percent to 33.47 percent. Ward received 4,424 votes to Wright’s 2,226.
Meanwhile, in House District 20, Melissa Garff Ballard — who describes herself as a homemaker and community volunteer — prevailed over fellow Republicans Matt Jensen and Glen C. Jenkins. Ballard received 41.78 percent of the vote (2,103 votes) to Jensen’s 37.37 percent (1,881 votes) and Jenkins’ 20.86 percent (1,050 votes).
In House District 19, Ward said he ran on “responsible Republican values.” The 50-year-old family physician, who lives in Bountiful, says his life just got easier with this victory.
“So far this year I’ve had three jobs,” Ward said. “I have my regular job, I have my job in the Legislature, and I have my job campaigning for my job in the Legislature. Now I’m down to two.”
Ward said he was most pleased with the fact that he won by a margin of about two-to-one, which is almost exactly what he got at the Republican convention.
“I know people get mad at you if you, say, didn’t go hard enough to the Right (in the primaries),” Ward said. “But I feel like I represent the voters in Bountiful pretty well, and I think these results showed that.”
Ward’s challenger has held several Republican party positions over the years. In running for office, Wright, who is the vice president of government affairs for a software development company, said he stood for “limited government, low taxes and personal responsibility,” and that it’s important to have a Republican who follows the Utah Republican Party platform.
The winner in the House District 20 primary, Ballard points to quality of life, a skilled workforce, expanding businesses and amazing outdoor opportunities in the state. She has pledged to work tirelessly to protect Utah values while helping plan for responsible growth.
Ballard believes her experience made all the difference in this primary election.
“I’ve had a lot of experience across the Wasatch Front, and to be a legislator it’s important to be able to work with people all over the state — which is what I’ve done for the last 30 years,” she said. “I’ve had experience for many decades serving this community in a variety of capacities. Everything from Head Start to the University of Utah to volunteering in the schools. I’ve also had a successful piano studio and raised six kids.”
Ballard recognizes that, if elected in November, she’ll be standing on the shoulders of those who came before her.
“This is what it boils down to: Living in a state where so many people worked so hard beforehand so that me and my children can enjoy this state,” she said. “The least I can do is step forward and help the next generations coming through.”
Jensen, 43, is a chemical engineer and small-business owner. He spent eight years as a city councilman in North Salt Lake and is a 20-year veteran of the Utah National Guard.
Jenkins served on the Woods Cross City Council; he ran on a platform of reducing regulation and keeping the economy going by lowering taxes and eliminating excessive laws.
In November’s District 19 general election, Ward will face Democratic candidate Courtney Jones and Libertarian candidate Joe Speciale. In District 20, Ballard goes up against Democratic candidate Ryan L. Jones.
Ward isn’t worried about his challengers.
“Davis hasn’t elected a Democrat for 40 years,” he said. “Maybe someday that will change, but not this year. We have very hard-fought elections in Davis County, but they happen in the Republican Party in June — it doesn’t happen in November.”
Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272, or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Friend him on Facebook at facebook.com/MarkSaal.
