SALT LAKE CITY — Three of the candidates vying to win the Democratic nomination for Utah governor have announced their picks for running mates.
Chris Peterson, considered the frontrunner in the race, announced Karina Brown as his running mate in a video posted on social media channels. She was a primary sponsor of Proposition 3, the Medicaid expansion ballot initiative.
"The Peterson and Brown ticket for governor and lieutenant governor is a powerful combination because of our advocacy work," Brown said in a statement by their campaign. "His work in consumer protection and my success in helping to expand health care coverage will resonate with Utahns across the state."
Nikki Ray Pino announced an eyebrow raising candidate in a YouTube video posted Wednesday night: his father, Nikki Ray Pino, Sr. The two highlighted their generational differences in the video.
"I'm young and represent the next generations and all of our potential. He's old and represents the previous generations and all their wisdom," Pino the younger said.
"Not old. Experienced," Pino Sr., a self-proclaimed Republican, interjected.
Zachary Moses, who is also seeking the nomination, announced Nate Kizerian as his running mate. Kizerian is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the state over the legislature's replacement of Proposition 2, the medical cannabis ballot initiative. He is also known for his popular Facebook page, Utah Satire, which trolls public officials.
In a lengthy video posted on Facebook, Kizerian described his wife's death from cancer, their loss of health insurance and her use of medical cannabis to treat her condition and his lack of political skills.
"I kept saying, 'I'm not your guy because I'm just a guy. It hit me because we need just a guy. We need just a guy at the Capitol. We need just a guy that's seen poverty. We need people that have struggled," he said.
Delegates for the Utah Democratic Party will select their nominee on Saturday in a virtual convention because of the coronavirus pandemic.
