SD22 Special Caucus Minutes

October 11, 2023, 7:00pm

Mountain Ridge Junior High School

5525 W 10400 N St, Highland, UT 84003

Christy Henshaw, Utah County Party Chair, opened the meeting at 7:07pm. She welcomed the delegates and introduced Chris Null, Salt Lake County Chair, and Rob Axson, Utah Republican Party Chair. 

Prayer: Jeff Moss

Pledge of Allegiance: Christy Henshaw

Chairman Rob Axson called to order at 7:20pm. 

State Party Secretary and credentials chair, Stafford Palmieri Sievert, provided the preliminary credentials report: 128 delegates out of 154, or 83%. Stafford moved adoption of the preliminary credentials report. It was seconded. There was no objection and the report was approved. 

Rob Axson introduced the election rules for the special caucus. Josh Cornia, Utah County, moved to adopt the rules. Josh Cornia then proposed an amendment to the rules: in the second round to reduce the speeches from 2 minutes to 1 minute and subsequent rounds from 1 minute to 30 seconds. The motion was seconded. There was no objection and the amendment passed. We returned to the underlying motion, which was to adopt the rules, as amended. The rules were passed by raised credentials. 

Chris Null, who served as the Elections Chair, explained the election process. 

Rob introduced the candidates and the speaking order, which was reflected in their seating order on the stage. The candidates then spoke for 4 minutes in the following order: 

  • Heidi Balderree 
  • Craig Frank
  • Jared Dallin
  • Wade Eyerly
  • Garrett Cammans
  • Elizabeth Rasmussen
  • Mac Sims
  • Emily Lockhart
  • Devon Millington
  • Yolanda “Nikki” Walker
  • Charles Wood
  • Corey Astill 
  • David Gray

Credentialing was closed and the final credentials report was 128 delegates out of 154 or 83%. 

The balloting was opened and the delegates voted. Senate President Stuart Adams addressed the delegates. 

We discovered that there were 130 ballots cast. There was one ballot that was missing but the person whose credential that belonged to was not marked as present. We asked this individual to come to the front. This accounted for 129 delegates. We were unable to identify the final delegate but the elections chair determined it would not have changed the outcome. The credentials report was amended to 130 delegates present. 

Round 1 results 

  • Heidi Balderree - 21 votes; 16.15%
  • Craig Frank - 7 votes; 5.38%
  • Jared Dallin - 14 votes; 10.76%
  • Wade Eyerly - 16 votes; 12.3%
  • Garrett Cammans - 14 votes; 10.76%
  • Elizabeth Rasmussen - 7 votes; 5.38%
  • Mac Sims - 8 votes; 6.15%
  • Emily Lockhart - 5 votes; 3.84%
  • Devon Millington - 6 votes; 4.61%
  • Yolanda “Nikki” Walker - 1 votes; 0.76% ELIMINATED
  • Charles Wood - 2 votes; 1.53% ELIMINATED 
  • Corey Astill - 28 votes; 21.53%
  • David Gray - 1 vote; 0.76% ELIMINATED

We started the second round of voting with 1 minute speeches by each candidate in the following order: 

  • Heidi Balderree 
  • Craig Frank
  • Jared Dallin
  • Wade Eyerly
  • Garrett Cammans
  • Elizabeth Rasmussen
  • Mac Sims
  • Emily Lockhart
  • Devon Millington
  • Corey Astill 

The ballots were opened and the delegates voted. 

Senator Jake Anderegg addressed the delegates on his resignation. Rep Jeff Stenquist addressed the delegates. 

Round 2 results (129 total votes cast):

  • Heidi Balderree - 18 votes; 13.95%
  • Craig Frank - 5 votes; 3.58%
  • Jared Dallin - 18 votes; 13.95%
  • Wade Eyerly - 17 votes; 13.17%
  • Garrett Cammans - 14 votes; 10.85%
  • Elizabeth Rasmussen - 11 votes; 8.52%
  • Mac Sims - 11 votes; 8.52%
  • Emily Lockhart - 4 votes; 3.1%
  • Devon Millington - 4 votes; 3.1%
  • Corey Astill - 27 votes; 20.93%

No candidates were eliminated because the lowest vote totals added up to more than the next highest vote total. Emily Lockhart withdrew herself from the race. The election then moved on to a third round and candidates had 30 seconds to speak in the following order: 

  • Heidi Balderree 
  • Craig Frank
  • Jared Dallin
  • Wade Eyerly
  • Garrett Cammans
  • Elizabeth Rasmussen
  • Mac Sims - who withdrew and endorsed Heidi Balderree 
  • Devon Millington
  • Corey Astill 

The ballots were opened and the delegates voted. 

Round 3 results (127 total votes cast):

  • Heidi Balderree - 34 votes; 26.77%
  • Craig Frank - 1 vote; 0.007% ELIMINATED
  • Jared Dallin - 19 votes; 14.96%
  • Wade Eyerly - 17 votes; 13.38%
  • Garrett Cammans - 14 votes; 11.02%
  • Elizabeth Rasmussen - 9 votes; 7.08%  ELIMINATED
  • Devon Millington - 3 votes; 2.36% ELIMINATED
  • Corey Astill - 30 votes; 23.62%

The candidates made speeches of no more than 30 seconds in the following order: 

  • Heidi Balderree 
  • Jared Dallin 
  • Wade Eyerly 
  • Garrett Cammans 
  • Corey Astill 

The ballots opened for round 4. 

Round 4 results (124 total votes cast):

  • Heidi Balderree - 38 votes; 30.64%
  • Jared Dallin - 13 votes; 10.48%
  • Wade Eyerly - 22 votes; 17.74%
  • Garrett Cammans - 10 votes; 8.06% ELIMINATED
  • Corey Astill - 41 votes; 33.06%

The candidates made speeches of no more than 30 seconds in the following order: 

  • Heidi Balderree 
  • Jared Dallin - withdrew and endorsed Wade Eyerly
  • Wade Eyerly
  • Corey Astill 

The ballots opened for round 5. 

Round 5 results (124  total votes cast): 

  • Heidi Balderree - 43 votes; 34.67%
  • Wade Eyerly - 34 votes; 27.41% ELIMINATED
  • Corey Astill - 47 votes; 37.90%

The candidates made speeches of no more than 30 seconds in the following order: 

  • Heidi Balderree
  • Corey Astill 

The ballots opened for round 6. 

Round 6 results (121 total votes cast):

  • Heidi Balderree - 67 votes; 55.37% WINNER
  • Corey Astill - 54 votes; 44.62%

Meeting was adjourned at 11:14pm.