An example of negative campaigning is the Guest Opinion published in the Herald on September 24, 2025. This author uses innuendo to insinuate that dark money is influencing our municipal election. His letter is an attempt to discredit the Stronger Together organization and thereby the candidates they endorse in the current mayor/City Council race. Innuendo is by definition, the opposite of honesty. It implies a negative idea without explicitly stating it. It allows the writer to cast doubt, question creditability, and manipulate opinion without taking responsibility.

Toward the end of his Guest Opinion, he inserts a disclaimer by asking, “Does this automatically mean wrongdoing? Not necessarily.” A disclaimer is a statement that renounces one’s own claim to limit responsibility. Maybe he doesn’t want to take responsibility for his accusations because he knows they are not based on truth.

Of particular interest to this writer is the Stronger Together Community arm of Stronger Together. I really don’t think we have to be concerned about dark money from this organization that raised only $168 so far this year. I think we should be more concerned about the hundreds of thousands of dollars donated by Todd Pedersen to various candidates and causes in the last two elections, which includes $160,000 to promote Proposition 2. (Regarding monetary donations, see Guest Opinion, published in the Herald on September 17, 2025, by Matt and Ruth Chatterly).

Furthermore, the writer of the letter states that we didn’t have these kinds of problems before Stronger Together was organized in 2022. He says that “for decades, campaigns here were open, accountable, and transparent.” He must have forgotten about the 2021 election, before Stronger Together was even organized. In 2021, Young, Spencer, and Millet grouped together to run for mayor/City Council so they could dominate the City Council and promote a pre-planned agenda, along with Terry Peterson who was an incumbent. The campaign these individuals ran was anything but “open, accountable, and transparent.” The lack of transparency got worse as they took office in January of 2022. (For more details, see my letter to the editor published in the Herald, August 6, 2025, “Choose wisely when voting for Orem City Council, mayor.”)

To make matters worse, that was also the first time negative campaigning was introduced into Orem politics. False allegations were made against Mayoral candidate, Jim Evans, who was eminently qualified to be mayor. Jim Evans was appointed to finish Jerry Washburn’s term as Mayor in 2011. He is currently Executive Director of America’s Freedom Festival at Provo. You may remember that Mr. Evans ran for mayor against Dave Young in 2021. In a guest opinion to the Herald in September of 2021, Mr. Evans said, “It’s unfortunate to see the negativity we observe on the national stage playing out here in Orem … Instead of presenting a plan for how to move Orem forward, they are attempting to sway votes by negativity and deceit. The lies and slander are beneath Orem and its wonderful residents. We are better than this.” He goes on to say that if candidates don’t speak out about the lies, they are just as guilty as their supporters [who wrote them]. (See article published in the Herald Oct 27, 2021, “We are better than this,” by Jim Evans).

From personal experience I know that Stronger Together has sought to be a force for good in the community. They are a grassroots organization that depends on volunteers and small donations from individuals in the community. Here’s a brief history of the organization:

In 2022 the first Stronger Together organization was formed as a PIC, or Political Issues Committee, in response to Proposition 2 (Orem-only school district), which was promoted by Young, Spencer, Millet, and Peterson. Proposition 2 was defeated; this PIC no longer exists.

In 2023, Stronger Orem, which is a PAC (Political Action Committee) was formed. The goal of this organization is to endorse good candidates for local, non-partisan elections. It is through this organization that candidates are endorsed, and donations made to campaigns. All funds are fully disclosed. They currently endorse Karen McCandless for mayor and Quinn Mecham, Doyle Mortimer, and Angela Moulton for City Council.

In 2024 Stronger Together Community was formed. It is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(4), non-profit social welfare organization. Its purpose is to support and strengthen our public schools and foster greater public participation in local government. As a matter of policy, this organization does not endorse political candidates and does not make donations to candidates or PACs.

I have been a careful observer of Orem politics since the 2021 mayor/City Council election. During the years between then and now, I have seen a number of ethically questionable actions taken by some of our politicians. In addition, I am tired of the negativity and false allegations that some candidates and their supporters promote. The way I see it, if we don’t have the courage to stand up for truth, we are not really living up to our community standards. I hope that we can put an end to negative campaigning in Orem and that is why I am voting for Karen McCandless as mayor, and Quinn Mecham, Doyle Mortimer, and Angela Moulton for City Council, so we can bring peace back to our community.

Virginia Sokolowsky is a resident of Orem.