KUER News Transcript: November 1, 2000
By Dan Hirschi

HOST: Cache County has a tradition of write-in candidates. In the mid 80's Newel Daines successfully won a write-in campaign for mayor of Logan. Fifteen years previous, Chip Bullen successfully ran as a write-in candidate for State Senator. Dan Hirschi reports that after losing his party's primary in June, veteran Utah State House Representative Evan Olsen will try to keep that tradition going - he's a write-in candidate in this November's election.

HIRSCHI: Evan Olsen has been the Representative for House District 5 since 1978. For 22 years his views have reflected residents of conservative Southern Cache County. The Young Ward dairy farmer says society's problems ... drugs, gangs, teen pregnancy, and education stagnation come from breakdown of the family.

OLSEN: "My number one concern is families and if you can keep families together, if you can strengthen families, most of these other things will take care of themselves."

Despite his popularity, Olsen's undoing came with a vote against a $117 million increase in education spending last legislative session. Olsen says he voted against the package because it didn't raise salaries of new teachers, reduce class size, or provide long-term funding for books and supplies.

But that reason wasn't good enough for real estate agent and dairyman, Brent Parker. The Republican says he decided to run against Olsen because of that vote. As president of the Cache County Board of Education, Parker is making education a key issue.

Utah State University's Political Scientist, Randy Simmons says the issue alowed Parker to nearly defeat Olsen in the Republican convention.

SIMMONS: "Evan was caught completely off guard. Managed to get enough votes in the convention to avoid being shut-out there. So then they go to the primary, and in Utah we have open primaries. So, Brent and his core constituents, again primarily teachers and their families went out and organized, turned people out to vote in the primary."

Parker clinched the June primary with 54 percent of the vote. Parker says Cache Valley's population is growing and diversifying and voters think it's time for a new representative.

PARKER: "I believe that people realize that Mr. Olsen's had a chance, and that they're ready to move on. I think that the ability that I have of offering a broad base of experience, is more representative of the constituency that what Mr. Olsen's able to provide."

Olsen's decision to run as a third candidate has county GOP officials worried that he'll split the Republican vote, allowing Democrat Margaret Obray to win - She would be only the second Democrat to represent the district in 65 years. Obray, a well-known high school teacher, is securing a solid base of support among former students. She says she will work to improve education.

OBRAY: "If we want to raise scores and improve education, lower the class size. When I have classes of 35 and I try to talk to all those students, I can't."

Obray also says schools need to attract quality teachers, by offering competitive pay. Other issues of concern include: wise land and water use planning, building more bike and walking trails, health care for families, and fair and accessible government. Republican, Brent Parker, meanwhile, supports protecting individual property rights, economic growth and strengthened family values … stands not radically different from those of Evan Olsen. The veteran lawmaker was ready to stay away from politics and says he didn't consider a write-in campaign until constituents asked him to run.

OLSEN: "They just kept coming and coming and coming and said please do a write-in, we're not satisfied with the candidates. And they said we'll even write your name in anyway even if you're not there. So, I felt like that it's OK to get in it."

Olsen says, he still has things to accomplish. He says his seniority as co-chair on both water committees in the state is important, as is his promotion of open space and farm preservation. And, last session he sponsored a bill creating the office of pornography ombudsman-also known as the porn czar. The bill takes effect in a year. Olsen says it's important that he be involved in the selection process for that appointment.

OLSEN: "Pornography will bring this nation to its knees, unless it's controlled. And we have a chance now, even though it doesn't take effect 'til the first of January. If we get the right person, if we get it established properly, we can make a difference."

Republican candidate, Brent Parker says he doesn't see this as reason for Olsen to stay in office.

PARKER: "Pornography's always a concern, but for Mr. Olsen to identify that he's the only one capable of doing that is a little absurd ... there are very capable men and women there in the legislature that are just as sensitive to the issues as he is, and anyone of them could fine tune the legislation, if it's needed."

Olsen's decision to run as a write-in candidate could substantially change the dynamics of the race. USU political scientist Randy Simmons and university students conducted a poll for Olsen in September to see what would happen if he conducted a write-in campaign. Simmons says he was surprised by the results … he expected that Olsen would come in third.

SIMMONS: "When you ask the question 'Who would win, Brent or Margaret?' Brent is ahead. When you ask 'If Evan runs a write-in, as a write-in candidate, for whom would you vote?' Evan takes votes from both Brent and Margaret and in the poll ended up in a dead heat with."

Olsen's entry is fueling greater interest in the race. A recent debate between the three candidates surprised organizers when 250 people showed up--they had expected a turn out of 30 or 40. November's election is expected to have a much higher voter turnout than the primary, where 23 percent of the eligible voters cast a ballot. Voter turnout in Cache County for the last presidential election was just over 66 percent. Olsen realizes that running a write-in campaign is very difficult-as voters must remember the candidate's name and office - and physically write it on the ballot. So he's making it easy--his last mailing includes stickers to be taken into the voting booth and used on the write in section of the ballot. For KUER news, I'm Dan Hirschi.

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