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Utah mother-daughter duo file paperwork to run for political offices

Posted at 6:12 PM, Mar 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-15 10:19:31-04

DAVIS COUNTY – Across the country there’s been a surge of female candidates running for political office. In Utah, a mother and daughter are throwing their hats into the ring.

Cheryl and Dawn Nunn feel like women's voices are not being heard on Capitol Hill, so the mother and daughter are running for office to represent Davis County.

Cheryl filed paperwork to run for Utah’s 16th legislative district – which covers east Layton, Clearfield and Hill Air Force Base.

“It`s something that I never even imagined," she said.

Nunn recently retired as a financial adviser. She raised two daughters on her own, earned a finance degree from BYU, and recently adopted two granddaughters. At age 66, she’s ready for a new challenge.

“When I was a teenager, the counselors at my high school told me: 'No, don't even think about college. You're not cut out for it,'" she said.

Cheryl is venturing into the political arena with her daughter, Dawn. Something they didn’t plan.

“She really taught me that I can do anything,” Dawn Nunn said.

The Fruit Heights resident wants to represent Utah’s 17th legislative district.

“I`m a mother of three kids," Dawn Nunn said. "I never planned on running for office. When I see what's going on in politics today, I really feel like I can make a difference.”

They believe lawmakers aren’t doing enough to clean Utah’s air and protect students and teachers in the classroom.

“I do not know of a day ever in our Utah history where even our little elementary children walked out of their schools to send a strong message that we want to be safe,” Cheryl Nunn said.

Getting to the capitol won’t be easy. Both are facing Republican incumbents. But they say they’re committed.

“I couldn't be prouder of my mom and the fact that she's running with me is amazing,” Dawn Nunn said.

“It makes all of the struggle and all of the effort over the years so worth it,” Cheryl Nunn said.

There's a group called Real Women Run that encourages women to run for public office. They're offering a training in April for female candidates, click here for details.