Unlocking Politics with Stan Lockhart

Sean shares what it is like being an attorney general. He talks about putting out fires and serving the community. He discusses recent projects including protecting pre-teens from social media, going after retail theft rings, and fighting human trafficking. Sean also discusses the impact that serving as attorney general has had on his family.

Sean Reyes comes from a rich heritage of leadership and service. He shares where he comes from and what led him to run for Attorney General for the state of Utah. He shares the inspiring story of his late father Norberto "Buddy" who landed in the United States with nothing and built a future for his family. Finally, he discusses the challenges he faced when he was appointed as Attorney General. 

It feels like often we get so concerned about national politics that we forget the huge impact that our local legislators make in our everyday lives. Utah State Representative Mike Winder shares his insights about the importance of local elections and why it is important to get involved.  Ranked-Choice Voting is an important issue for Mike. He talks about how ranked-choice voting solves many of the issues with elections by improving civility, eliminating wasted votes, and encouraging more people to run.  

Over the past 20 years, Lehi has grown from a population of 19,000 to 72,000. Part of the reason this rapid growth has been sustainable is because of Mark Johnson. In the early 2000s, Mayor Mark Johnson saw the need for change in Lehi when he noticed that all the homes being built were starter homes. Seeing the need for change, he ran for public office. Over the past 20 years he has been involved with the planning commission, the city council, and now as mayor. Mayor Johnson's strong background in planning and design has improved Lehi. Tune in to learn more about what the future holds for Lehi, Utah.  

Nathan Ivie was virtually unknown in Utah politics when he ran for country commissioner in 2016. It was a steep learning curve but he quickly got a hang of it. His experience with the county helped him gain a great deal of respect for the incredibly diverse economy of Utah County from agriculture to Silicon Slopes. His favorite part of serving was the people that he got to know. Moving forward his biggest concern is propaganda and the effect it is having on our national discourse. Listen to the podcast to find out more about Nathan Ivie and his plans for the future.

In my conversation with Payson, Utah Mayor Bill Wright we discuss the challenge of keeping a rural feel while also allowing for growth. Mayor Wright shares some of his favorite things about Payson including the many trails and recreation opportunities. He also tells the history of the famous Salmon Supper which draws up to 5,000 people each year. Finally, we discussed the importance of being involved in your local community.

Sue Duckworth is arguably the most loved person in the Utah House of Representatives. Caring and outspoken, she supplies the House floor with cinnamon bears and a much-needed sense of humor. Although she serves as a Democrat, she was chosen to serve as a vice-chairman, something that hasn't happened in 100 years. Sue says that the thing that helps her connect with others is that you don't judge, you just love. She doesn't let labels define who she is. She lets her smile and kind heart define who she is. Sue Duckworth has served in the Utah House of Representatives for the past 12 years. Prior to that, she supported her husband as he served for 10 years.

In my conversation with Senator Curt Bramble, we talk about the importance of coming together to solve problems. The most important step is clearly defining the problem. Once you have defined the problem and get everyone on board, you can begin to work together to create the solution. This perspective has helped Curt as he has worked on energy and tax reform. He says this perspective can also help us as we work to become more united as a country.

I had the opportunity to visit with my good friend Brian Tate to discuss politics. This conversation was a change from my typical interviews with guests who hold positions in state leadership. It was refreshing to hear the perspective of someone whose life isn't immersed in politics. We discuss the role of conflict in politics, the election, partisanship, and hypocrisy in politics. 

In part two of my conversation with Val Peterson we talk about the secret sauce to his success. Val Peterson talks about surrounding himself with people who are better and smarter than he is. He also talks about how all of his accomplishments wouldn't have happened without the support of his wife, Ann. 

Having just one of Val Peterson's titles would be a major accomplishment for most people. However, somehow Val has managed to find success in every area with service including as a member of the Utah House of Representatives, UVU Vice President, and a Brigadier General in the National Guard.  In the podcast, Val shares the events that led him to his service as a member of the Utah House of Representatives, UVU Vice President, and Brigadier General. We also discuss what made his success possible. In part one, we discuss Val's service for Utah Valley University and how he has been a part of the University from the beginning serving as it transitioned from Utah Technical College to Utah Valley Community College to Utah Valley State College to Utah Valley University. We also discuss Val's service in the military which led to him becoming a Brigadier General. He also discusses his role as a member of the Utah House of Representatives and how he is working to meet the needs of the citizens of Utah.

Cindie Quintana has spent over ten years working on campaigns for others. However, she recently decided that it was time to campaign for herself. Cindie shares the events that led up to her decision to run and the importance of providing a voice for the Latino community. She shares her the impact that COVID19 has had on her campaigning. 

Amelia Powers Gardner is an innovator. She looks for ways to improve the current processes and save the government and the people time and money. In only a couple of years she has already dramatically reformed the vote-by-mail verification system, instituted online marriage licenses, and improved the tax abatement process. Amelia talks about the power of innovation and the importance of avoiding complacency.

George Floyd's death ignited a heated discourse about systemic racism and police brutality.  Police officers were villainized and people started talking about defunding the police. Troy Walker has a unique background where he has represented police officers in court, defended the public against police officers in court, and served as Mayor over the police department. I wanted to hear Troy's opinions and thoughts on the matter of defunding the police. In the podcast, we talk about the role of the police, how to respond to the police, and ways to improve the police. Overall, most police officers are doing an excellent job but we need to find ways to weed out the ones who are causing problems.  We also discuss the need for better training to ensure that people are being treated with respect. Draper City is forming a cultural diversity board to start a conversation about how to train and educate the police force, but the whole community. 

Having responsibility for 670,000 students and 30,000 educators is no small task. Add in the political aspect of building relationships with stakeholders from all over the state with varying agendas and priorities and you've got a pretty monumental job.  Sydnee Dickson shares her experience serving as the Superintendent of Public Instruction. She talks about the impact COVID19 has had on the future of education and what the future holds for K12 education in Utah. She also shares the unique challenge and opportunity of being a woman leader in education.

Protecting Utah's public funds is John Dougall's passion. He works hard to ensure that money is being spent responsibly. Dougall shares stories from his 7 years as Utah State Auditor discussing how his office has caught people stealing over $100k. He identifies three factors that can lead to fraud.

Deidre Henderson is running as the lieutenant governor candidate for the Republican Party alongside Spencer Cox. I had the opportunity to discuss her recent campaign as well as the very real possibility of her serving as the next lieutenant governor for the state of Utah. We talk about her path to this moment, starting with her helping out on Jason Chaffetz's campaign to her run for senator to Spencer Cox asking her to run with him. We also talked about the importance of women's voices in politics and what the future holds for her.

Todd Weiler talks about his journey from city council to state Senator. Politics allow him the opportunity to create change and he views it as his favorite sport of all. Todd also talks about the role that social media can play in informing his decisions as a representative of his district. He shares his passion for working to ensure indigent defense in the state of Utah. He also gives advice for getting involved in Utah politics.

Chris Campbell, finance expert for CNBC and former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Treasury, talks about the impact of COVID19 on the economy. Chris is optimistic about the future and excited to see what new innovations will emerge through the difficulties.  

In my conversation with Aimee Winder Newton, we talk about how politics allow us to initiate change. Aimee discusses her experience running for governor and the unique challenges for women running for office. 

In the second half of my conversation with Jeff Burningham, we discuss the impact of COVID19 on his campaign. With the outbreak of COVID19, Jeff halted the gathering of signatures for the safety of his volunteers. However, he did not have enough signatures to enter the race for governor. Jeff also offers advice for those interested in becoming involved with politics.

Jeff Burningham shared his experience running for Utah governor. The race was disrupted by COVID19 and it was a difficult loss. Jeff's message about the power of disruption and growth is applicable and timely for all of us. 

I sat down with John Dougall, Utah State Auditor, to discuss the issue of hypocrisy in politics. We discuss examples of hypocrisy in local and national politics   How you can deal with when a candidate or official makes choices different than your personal values? How do you avoid becoming a hypocrite?