Salt Lake County democratic delegates elected Lynn Hemingway Wednesday night to return to the Utah House of Representatives. He will finish out the term of embattled former State Representative Justin Miller, who resigned last month after pleading guilty to communications fraud. Hemingway says he hopes his re-election to the seat will allow his district to move forward.
“It’s been a rough, rough year and one of the reasons that drove me to run is I felt like District 40 wasn’t represented at all in the past year,” Hemingway says.
Three candidates challenged Hemingway for the seat including LGBT rights lawyer Amy Fowler, political newcomer Michael Shea and Chris Stout, who chairs the progressive caucuses at the county and state levels. Hemingway says he already has the trust of delegates and his experience is well-documented.
“I became friends with all the people now who are in leadership,” Hemingway says. “I respect them and they respect me. I can get hearings and I can get committee time whereas an inexperienced person might not be able to do that.”
Governor Gary Herbert will have to sustain the delegate’s selection in the coming days.
