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“The question is not whether we are able to change but whether we are changing fast enough.” – Angela Merkel
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History in the Making
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History In The Making:
Can Sheryl Allen Bridge Utah’s Political Gap?
WRITTEN BY Alison Peek | PHOTOS BY Nick Adams
When Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Corroon asked Utah voters to help him chose a Lt. Governor late last winter, few were prepared when he announced his final choice before the state GOP and Democratic conventions. He chose a woman, and a Republican woman at that.
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heryl Allen, long-time legislator from the peaceful community of Bountiful, was suddenly pulled into the state’s political spotlight. When she announced in March that she wouldn’t run for a ninth term after sixteen years in the legislature, she said she wanted to enjoy life more but hoped to stay involved in the community. “I want to continue to be involved, continue to give public service,” Allen said. She probably hadn’t planned on attending the state Republican convention, much less the Democratic one, and certainly not as a potential lieutenant governor. While most Democratic candidates for November’s election were already in place at the time of convention, the entire country watched Utah Republicans swing radically right, removing Bob Bennett, 18-year veteran of the U.S. Senate, from possible re-
election in the fall. It became very obvious that the gap between Utah’s Democrats and Republicans was widening. Corroon says he chose Sheryl Allen because of who she is as a person. He said, “Representative Allen and I both value smaller, more efficient government, a strong economy, a solid education for our children, and improving the quality of life for Utahns. Those values do not belong to one person or political party. They are Utah values. Utah needs independent leaders who put people before politics.” An advocate for education, Allen has worked on the role of the states in international trade, state control of internet gambling, and
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has carefully examined revisions to Utah’s Constitution. Considered a moderate Republican, she has shied away from the extreme views of some fellow legislators, and strives to get input and feedback from her constituents. Representative Allen said, “I have always found my constituents to be well informed and helpful. Although it is impossible to represent all viewpoints, I have tried to listen to the concerns of others and reflect on the recommendations I have received.” Additionally, Allen sees ethics reform as an important priority issue. A number of unsavory ethical breeches have been the focal point of a number of recent ethics probes within the Utah legislature. In 2008, Ms. Allen undertook an ethics issue against a fellow Republican legislator. “The hardest thing in my career was to file an
ethics complaint,” she said. “But it was the right thing to do.” The legislature was forced to hold its first ethics hearing in more than ten years and, listening to the outcries from her constituents, Allen sought an even larger commitment to ethics reform. She didn’t believe the existing system worked. “There has to be a better way … a way that is not so miserable for all involved, miserable for those who bring the complaint and miserable for those who the complaint is brought against,” she explained. She didn’t fully perceive at the time how much Republican leaders were angered by her zeal for ethics reform, and there ultimately would be repercussions. During the last legislative session, Allen – and her constituents, who appreciate being listened to – played
She has admitted that, “At times it can be frustrating because it feels like I’m only one person against this entire body and can’t change anything. But I’ve realized that, one small step at a time, together we can get things done.”
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a role in forcing the legislature to do something big about ethics reform. Pressure from a circulating petition for a citizens’ initiative in the fall had many legislators worried. Some were looking for an approach that allowed the legislature to police itself, while the public seemed to want something independent and transparent. Allen experienced harsh opposition from her fellow Republican legislators to some of the ethics reform measures she proposed. Thus, not all of Allen’s desired measures were passed, but at least a commission was established to formally review ethics cases in the future. She has admitted that, “At times it can be frustrating because it feels like I’m only one person against this entire body and can’t change anything. But I’ve realized that, one small step at a time, together we can get things done.” Though Allen’s career in the legislature has come to an end by her choosing, perhaps she can begin a new one in the Lt. Governor’s office – bringing with her the many lessons she’s learned through the years as a member of the legislative body. Allen seems acutely aware that Utah’s voters perceive lawmakers to be more and more concerned about their own personal agendas than the needs of the people of this state. “The voices have been a little shrill lately,” Allen said last May when selected by Corroon. “We want to give a different tone to the campaign. We have intra-party fights all the time. This is taking it to a general election. It’s part of the process
- it’s healthy, and I’m pleased to be part of what I hope is a new trend.” Allen will have her work cut out for her to convince Republican voters that she will work for their interests. That may be a hefty job, indeed, as there are already those further to the right that say she won’t that she has always been a Republican who votes like a Democrat. There is also the question as to whether or not Democrats will trust that she is working in behalf of their interests, too. Politics in Utah, like politics in Washington, have never been more partisan – with Republicans moving further to the right and Democrats continuing to forward a more liberal agenda. The political gap appears to be widening while leaving an increasing number of people in the middle seemingly NOT being represented. Can Sheryl Allen bridge that political gap for Utah’s voters? She is a woman of integrity who advocates doing the right thing. She is a seasoned lawmaker with a strong commitment to listening to her constituents. She is a woman of reason who is willing to consider all options and compromise when needed. She is a courageous representative who is unafraid to fight the tough, yet necessary, fights. Placing on the proverbial hardhat, Sheryl will wait until November to see whether or not she receives the job of building that bridge.
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