SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Republican Party was pleased with strong turnout at caucuses around the state, though 2014 numbers will not rise to the levels seen in the 2012 election when Mitt Romney led the GOP Presidential ticket and U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch spent millions of dollars to increase turnout of moderate Republicans.
Executive director of the state Republican Party, Julian Babbitt, told FOX 13 News that anecdotal reports showed especially strong turnout in Utah and Davis Counties, where precinct meetings had “60 to 90” attendees on average.
In Sandy, numbers were not as strong, but still impressive for an off-year election.
But in Salt Lake City, some precincts had only 12 to 15 attendees.
“Not exactly a bastion of conservatism,” Babbitt said.
Babbitt told FOX 13 News hard numbers for caucus attendance should be compiled within the next week.
FOX 13 News reported from precincts in State House District 64, where four candidates are vying to replace outgoing Representative Becky Lockhart who currently serves as House Speaker.
Click on the broadcast report above to see the surprising number of first-time caucus goers attending the precinct meetings in Provo.
