As candidates file, other intriguing races include commission seat, sheriff’s office

Former Tooele Mayor Doug Sagers has filed to run against nine-term incumbent Rep. Jim Gowans for the District 21 seat in the House of Representatives — one of several notable races set up during the first few days of candidate filings.

Sagers will be the Republican challenger to Democrat Gowans. Sagers was born and raised in Tooele and currently works at Mountain West Medical Center as the director of business development and physician recruiting. He’s certainly no newcomer to politics. In 1974, at the age of 24 he was elected as mayor of Tooele — at the time the youngest mayor in the nation. He held the city’s top job from 1974 to 1982.

“I just feel it is time to get involved again,” Sagers said. “The foundation of our God-given freedoms is threatened by politicians who put expediency and self-preservation before the needs of those they serve.”

Last Friday kicked off a busy candidate filing period that will run through this Friday. Other notable races shaping up include a contest for the District 1 seat in the House of Representatives — which covers Stockton, Rush Valley, Vernon, Dugway, Grantsville and Wendover — between three-term incumbent Rep. Ronda Menlove and her fellow Republican Don Koyle, also from Garland. Koyle owns his own independent car dealership and repair shop in Garland, where he has lived for 18 years.

“I am tired of the way the political system is running,” Koyle said. “I don’t like the big government mentality. We need less government, not more.”

No Democratic challenger has filed in the 1st district as of Tuesday morning. The two Republican candidates will face each other at the Republican Party state convention.

In the state senate seats up for election this year that include parts of Tooele County, both incumbents have thrown their hats back into the ring. In District 12, Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley City, has filed for re-election while Pete Knudson, R-Brigham City, has re-filed in District 17.

All county office holders have also filed for another term at the county courthouse, according to Tooele County Clerk Marilyn Gillette.

Heinz Kopp, currently the chief of police in Stockton, has filed to run as a Republican for sheriff against two-term Democratic incumbent Frank Park. Park has worked in law enforcement for 30 years, two years with Tooele City and 28 years with the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office. Kopp retired from the Salt Lake County’s Sheriff’s office in November 2008 and went to work in Stockton a few weeks later.

Perhaps the biggest contest at the county level shaping up thus far is between first-term county commissioner Bruce Clegg, a Republican, and prominent real estate broker Vicki Griffith, a Democrat. Griffith, who runs Tooele Prudential Utah Real Estate, is a 30-year resident of the county with strong ties to the Tooele County Chamber of Commerce, the Tooele County Board of Realtors, and the Tooele Valley Kiwanis Club, among other local civic organizations.

“I have had people ask me to run for office, and I decided it was time to get involved and make a difference,” said Griffith, who ran unsuccessfully against Lois McArthur for a seat on the county commission 12 years ago. “I just want to make the community a better place. I can’t run for city council because I live in the county, so I am running for county commissioner.”

In the race for the other county commission seat up for grabs, first-term Republican commissioner Jerry Hurst filed for re-election but is unopposed thus far.

Assessor Wendy Shubert-D, Attorney Doug Hogan-R, Clerk Marilyn Gillette-R , Auditor Mike Jensen-D all had no opposition in their races as of Tuesday morning.

Recorder Calleen Peshell-D is being challenged by Republican Jerry Houghton, owner of Tooele Tile Company. Surveyor Doug Kinsman-R is being challenged by John Riddle, from Tooele who has owned his own surveying company for the last three years also a Republican. Treasurer Valerie Lee-D will face off against Jeremy Walker-R, former recorder and finance director for Grantsville City.

All three school board members up for election have filed to run again: Jeff Hogan from Stockton, Carol Jensen from Erda, and Karen Nelson from Grantsville. Neil Critchlow, a past chief of the Grantsville Volunteer Fire department, has filed to run against Nelson. The other two seats are currently unopposed.

Filing for this election has gone as usual, according to Gillette.

“It is normal for the incumbents to get in and sign up early. That keeps people off their backs, asking them if they are running,” Gillette said. “We may see a few more people filing as they see who is running and decide if they want to throw their hat in the race too.”

The deadline to file for office is 5 p.m. on Friday, March 19, at the Tooele County Clerk’s office.

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com