SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's redrawn congressional district maps are creating new competitive dynamics heading into caucus season.
Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said the new maps have raised the stakes for voters and candidates alike — and that increased competition is a positive development for the state's political process.
"Competition is healthy. It's not a crisis," Perry said. "It's one of those very interesting things going into these caucuses, where we really do have one congressional district that will be very, very competitive, maybe even to one side. And so this is one of those opportunities here in the state of Utah where engagement is going to matter more than ever."
Perry said the new congressional district maps have increased the importance of voters attending their caucuses and voting, while also forcing candidates to sharpen their positions on the issues.
Politics
Thousands turn out for Utah's caucus night
He said it is very possible that with the new congressional district map, a Democrat could be elected to Congress from Utah's 1st District.
Perry said competitive races tend to shift the focus away from party identity and toward policy — something he views as a strength of the democratic process.
"What quality of policy do we wind up with when we have competitive political races?" Perry said. "This is one of the more interesting nuances of these races themselves is you have people and party, and sometimes that can be where the conversation stops. You identify with the party and so you vote with that party. What happens when you have a very competitive district is it really does become about the policy itself, which in my mind is the most important thing is you get to where they stand on these issues, and we have significant issues in the state of Utah, social issues, things dealing with the Great Salt Lake, with the state of Utah and its growth. These are policies, and these candidates are really going to have to differentiate themselves in a way that sometimes you don't have. You get down to, it is a candidate, it is a party, but where do they stand on an issue? And that is a very important and I think a beautiful thing about the political process."
Perry emphasized that the most important thing is for Utahns to engage in the political process.
