Three candidates running in the 3rd Congressional District race to replace Jason Chaffetz met Monday's deadline to turn in signatures to get their name onto the ballot, including one newcomer.
Provo Mayor John Curtis and his campaign turned in close to 15,000 signatures Monday morning to the Lieutenant Governor’s office, more than double the number required to qualify for the GOP congressional primary.
Curtis, a Republican, was one of just three who made the noon deadline for candidates seeking a path to the ballot outside the traditional party nominating convention.
Mark Thomas, director of elections for the state of Utah, said he plans to bring on 10 additional staffers to get those signatures verified, a process he expects will take about a week.
“Each signature is actually reviewed against a voter registration database, so we actually do a comparison to ensure that the signature matches,” he said.
Another Republican candidate, Tanner Ainge, turned in his petition signatures last week. The Lieutenant Governor’s office has certified those, so Ainge is guaranteed a spot on the August 15 primary ballot.
Draper entrepreneur Sean Whalen, a registered Republican, is new to the race. He turned in signatures to run as an unaffiliated candidate in the general election, scheduled for November 7.
Four other candidates who had declared their intention to use the petition process did not make the deadline.
The race now enters a critical phase as the remaining Republican and Democratic candidates woo delegates before their party’s nominating conventions this Saturday. A total of 21 candidates are running to fill the seat.
Rep. Chaffetz will be resigning from Congress at the end of the month.
Candidates Running For The 3rd Congressional District Seat:
