In a recent Daily Herald opinion piece, Utah State Senator Mike McKell (June 18, 2025) expressed concern that the endorsement process requires, in his words, a “loyalty pledge to the Republican Party.” Lehi City Councilor Michelle Stallings, in her opinion piece responding to Senator McKell’s comments (July 1, 2025), asserted that “there isn’t” a loyalty pledge involved in the process. The UCRP Steering Committee, in their own opinion piece (July 5th, 2025), defended their endorsements and process without addressing the matter of a loyalty pledge at all.

I emailed the UCRP chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer and asked them to send me the Candidate Accountability form that endorsement-seeking candidates signed so that I could study it to learn more about the loyalty pledge that Senator McKell had raised concerns about. They kindly sent me the form, asked my opinion about it, and some of them engaged in discussion with me via email to answer my questions and help me understand what candidates who signed the form were agreeing to. Thank you, UCRP leaders, for graciously and patiently engaging with me as I sought more understanding.

The form reads, in part, as follows: “I, (Name) as Republican candidate for (Office) agree to the following: To … publicly support only Republican candidates for partisan public office; and acknowledge that after the Utah County Republican Party has a nominee, any elected office holder or candidate who supports (i.e. money or in-kind contributions, posting signs, public endorsements, etc.), or runs as, a non-Republican Party candidate for partisan office will be ineligible to run as a Republican during the next election cycle for any Utah County Republican Party office or partisan elected office nominated by the Utah County Republican Party.”

In my opinion, Senator McKell’s interpretation of the above quoted text as a “loyalty pledge to the Republican Party” is right on the money. By signing the form, endorsement-seeking candidates pledge to loyally support the Republican Party for the duration of their candidacy or tenure in their nonpartisan municipal office by refraining from ever publicly supporting any non-Republican candidate, or else be punished by being kicked out of consideration for UCRP leadership positions and disqualified from running as a UCRP-nominated candidate for partisan office.

What are the implications of this? City governments in Utah County interact directly with and are influenced by the Utah County Commissioner, Clerk, Auditor, Recorder, and Surveyor, which are all partisan elected offices. In addition, several Utah State Senate and House Districts fall entirely within the boundaries of Utah County, and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) includes a seat based in Utah County, all of which are partisan elected offices. What if a UCRP-endorsed sitting mayor, city councilor, or school board member, a couple years down the road, feels strongly that a non-Republican candidate for one of those partisan offices is the best person to serve their constituents, and they want to publicly support that candidate? Unfortunately, having pledged their loyalty to the UCRP, that mayor, city councilor, or school board member would be compelled to keep quiet about their opinion or face retribution.

I want my city and school board leaders to be free to publicly support whoever they deem to be best-suited for partisan elected offices that affect our cities and schools. The UCRP endorsement process, on the other hand, hamstrings endorsed city and school board leaders by having them pledge in advance to be loyal Republican cheerleaders for four years.

Where does this lead? If the UCRP enjoys receiving the loyal support of city and school board leaders, then what happens next? Stronger versions of a UCRP loyalty pledge in the future? Efforts to turn municipal nonpartisan offices into partisan offices, as has already happened with USBE seats? A county where the only people deemed worthy of city or school board leadership are those who are “Republican enough?” I bristle at the thought.

As I go to the polls this year for our nonpartisan municipal elections, I will consider the UCRP endorsement, with its loyalty pledge, to be a liability, not an asset.

Evan Thacker has been a resident of Orem since 2013.