Utah County GOP Schedules Meeting to Select
Legislator’s Replacement for Current Term

Provo (May 10, 2010)--The Utah County Republican Party Steering Committee announced today that delegates from Legislative District 63 in Provo will be convened on June 3 to select an individual to fill the remaining seven months of Representative Steve Clark’s term. Clark, along with his wife, former Provo City Council member Cindy Clark, have accepted an assignment to preside over the LDS Church’s mission in St. Louis, Mo.

During the party’s nominating convention on April 24, Republican delegates from District 63 selected Dean Sanpei as the party’s nominee for Clark’s seat. His name will appear on the ballot in November. Knowing that Clark’s resignation was imminent, many of the delegates believed that the process during the convention was also intended to determine who would fill the remainder of Clark’s current term, in addition to selecting the party’s nominee for November.

However, according to party officials, that intent was never officially stated during the convention. “While many of the delegates in District 63 believed their vote on April 24 filled both purposes—choosing a nominee for the general election as well as successor for Clark’s current term—our leadership determined that we needed to reconvene the delegates in a special caucus and allow them the opportunity to cast a vote explicitly for the intent of determining who should fill the remainder of Rep. Clark’s current term,” said Taylor Oldroyd, Utah County GOP chair.

This special caucus will not change the fact that Dean Sanpei is the party nominee for November’s general election; this election will only be for the remaining seven months of Representative Clark’s term of office.
Anyone wishing to be considered for the vacancy must meet the Constitutional requirements of the office, including having been a registered Republican during the 2008 general election. Candidates must file a written intent with ChairmanTaylor Oldroyd at taylor@utahcountygop.org and Secretary Lisa Shepherd at lisa@utahcountygop.org between 8 a.m. on Monday, May l7, and 5 p.m. on May 18. More details can be found on the party’s website: www.utahcountygop.org.

“We wish to thank Rep. Clark for his dedicated service to the people of Provo,” Oldroyd said. “As a party, our intent is to make sure his replacement is selected and seated quickly and in accordance with our party’s operating procedures, to make sure that the residents of this district do not go without representation.”