Jeff Bell

In the last two years I’ve received hundreds of emails, phone calls and had conversations with citizens who are concerned about the future of our Utah Democratic Party. We have candidates who feel disenfranchised and ignored, and party members that have grown alarmed at the tone and the message coming from Party Headquarters.

The constant call of “Democrats don’t win in Utah,” has been transformed from a GOP punch line into a Democratic Party mantra; it’s embarrassing and it needs to stop.
The Democratic Party in Utah is hurting. We have consistently lost the debate in the battle of ideas. It is time to evaluate our situation and make some momentous changes.

After a great deal of discussion and soul searching, I have announced that I will be a candidate for Chair of the Utah Democratic Party in 2009. I both like and respect Chair Holland: working for him was one of the highlights of my career. While I can easily appreciate how hard he’s worked implementing a strategy of message homogenization and party blandness, I just happen to know that there are superior, more economical to support our party members and win over voters.

It is critical that we reverse direction and reclaim our narrative. For too many years, the message coming from Democratic leadership has been that we need to move to the right, compromise our values, and let the Republicans have their way. It was believed that this would help us win more elections. Sadly, it hasn’t. We played the game by Republican rules and we’ve operated at a self-imposed disadvantage.

From the Internet to digital television, from radio to print, our options are limitless. In order to achieve success, we must abandon the antiquated strategies of 30 years ago and embrace innovation.

“Go along to get along,” is not a party platform, it is surrender.

It is time for the Party to educate Utah voters about who we are, what we stand for, and deliver the message that Democrats are more than a watered down alternative to the empty, harmful policies of the Utah GOP – We are the best choice for Utah voters.

Elect me as your Party Chair, and I will work to bring that message to the people of Utah, and in doing so will help us return to a position of strength where, defining ourselves once more as Democrats, we can bring real, progressive leadership to the great state of Utah

As we move forward in this process, I will be laying out my ideas, based on my experiences from years of advertising, marketing and political work, on what the State Party can do and must do, to rebrand ourselves, and start winning again.

Jeff Bell
April  2009