CEDAR CITY — Iron County residents showed up in droves for their respective political caucus meetings on Tuesday night.
Hundreds of registered Republicans gathered at each of two main locations in Cedar City, with 15 precincts meeting at Cedar High School and another 10 precincts convening at Canyon View Middle School. Party officials said a number of others also participated in outlying areas.
“The participation of 1,757 individuals at the caucus was truly inspiring, showcasing the vibrancy of the grassroots movement,” Iron County GOP chair Mari Eddy said in an email on Wednesday.
Eddy also noted that in the presidential preference poll that was conducted Tuesday night, 73% of participants chose Donald Trump, 26% said they preferred Nikki Haley and 0.8% indicated that Ryan Binkley was their favorite choice.
Those elected as delegates will gather next month for the Iron County GOP convention, where they will help choose the party’s official nominees for the various races in the upcoming 2024 election. The convention is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, starting at 6 p.m. at Canyon View High School.
“The caucus serves as the cornerstone of our representative government, allowing grassroots voters to amplify their voices through their chosen candidates,” Eddy added, thanking the volunteers who helped.
Meanwhile, more than 50 members of the Iron County Democratic Party gathered at SpringHill Suites hotel in Cedar City for their caucus meetings. Speakers included Iron County party chair Schuyler Rhodes, vice chairs Kathy Long and Steve Merrill and Cedar City Council member R. Scott Phillips.
Also on Tuesday, Democrats in Iron County cast primary election ballots for the U.S. Presidential race, with President Joe Biden receiving 603 votes out of 692 cast (88.5%). There are 2,002 registered Democrats in Iron County, according to the results summary sent out on Wednesday by Iron County Clerk Jonathan Whittaker.
The delegates elected on Tuesday night will decide on the party’s preferred candidates at the Iron County Democratic Party convention, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Courtyard Marriott in Cedar City.
Both the Republican and Democratic state nominating conventions are scheduled for April 27 in the Salt Lake City area.
Various third-party groups are also planning on meeting to decide on the candidates they’ll nominate and support. The Utah Libertarian Party’s state nominating convention is scheduled for April 19-20 in Salt Lake City, while the United Utah Party’s is on April 20 in Midvale.
In addition, the Washington County Constitution Party will be holding its caucuses in conjunction with its county convention on March 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Green Spring Clubhouse in Washington City, according to party co-chairs Don and Melanie Cameron.
Photo Gallery
Participants line up to register at Canyon View Middle School for GOP caucuses, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Iron County GOP secretary Casey Anderson welcomes participants to caucuses at Canyon View Middle School, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Participants gather at Canyon View Middle School for GOP caucuses, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Iron County Democratic Party chair Schuyler Rhodes welcomes participants to caucus meeting, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Iron County Democratic Party co-chair Steve Merrill speaks during caucus meeting, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Iron County Democratic Party co-chair Steve Merrill gives directions during caucus meeting, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Participants gather in a classroom at Cedar High School for GOP caucuses, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Participants leave classrooms at Cedar High School after attending GOP caucuses, Cedar City, Utah, March 5, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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