A team of four candidates calling itself the New Utah County Democrats emerged from last week's county convention with more than 60 percent of the vote, defeating four other party members.

Richard Davis will take the county party's reins along with Larry Brown, vice chair, and Hinckley Jones-Sanpei, secretary. Kristin Gerdy retained her spot as treasurer.

Davis, a political-science professor at Brigham Young University, led the county's voter-registration program and served as a liaison between the state Democrats and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Brown likewise has served on various party committees. Jones-Sanpei and Gerdy, a law professor at BYU, have been precinct chairs.

Davis said the Democratic Party better reflects the values of Utah County voters, particularly on public education, transportation funding, urban growth, the environment and even social issues.

"The state Legislature has been sporadic in funding public education," Davis said Wednesday. "What voters want are elected officials who are dedicated to public education - not those who see public education as a burden and are fully devoted to private education."

The New Utah County Democrats' Web site vows to bring the county's Democratic candidates "back to electoral victory" so they can play a role in shaping legislation in Utah.

Democrats have not won a race in the county since the 1980s.

"We're not satisfied to be a protest voice from the sidelines, hoping that the far-right Republicans will hear our arguments for better government," the Web site says. "They're not listening. We must start electing our own candidates and make our voice heard again in this democracy."

The site goes on to call Utah County's GOP leaders "extremists" who have "abandoned any pretense of representing the people." It says Republicans have forbidden debate on school vouchers, pushed message bills and attempted to stack school boards with ultraconservatives.

"Even our moderate Republican friends and neighbors are now grumbling about how out of touch their own party is to the needs and opinions of real Utahns," the Web site says. "The extremist Republicans being elected from Utah County are a big part of the problem in the state Legislature. We aim to change that."

Davis labeled this week's convention a success, adding that about 200 people attended and 106 new Democrats registered.

"That means that most of the people in the room were people who were there for the first time," he said. "That indicates that there is a growing interest and an alternative to the extremists whom Republicans have put up for election."

sgehrke@sltrib.com