This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Over the past several weeks, The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board has published editorials giving our recommendations on who should be elected to various local, state and national offices, and outlining the reasons why. The full editorials can be found on our website: http://www.sltrib.com/opinion

For President of the United States:

— Barack Obama: Our endorsement of the president came after months of disappointment with Utah's former Olympics czar as we watched the Republican challenger crisscrossing the country and promising one audience he would do what, to a different audience, he had decried. To be blunt, we liked the Mitt Romney of 2002, not the zigzagging chameleon of 2012. The Democratic incumbent has proven himself a competent leader who was handed an economy in shambles, managed to ward off catastrophe, and is presiding over a recovery that, while slower than one would wish, shows signs of gathering momentum and producing jobs at a faster rate. His signature initiative, the Affordable Care Act, while far from perfect, is a much-needed set of reforms that are a significant step toward fixing our broken health care system.

For U.S. Senate:

— Orrin Hatch: Utah's lion of the Senate can work across the aisle

For U.S. House of Representatives:

— 1st District: Rob Bishop — House committee assignments can benefit Utah

— 2nd District: Jay Seegmiller — Former Utah legislator in moderate Jim Matheson mold

— 3rd District: Jason Chaffetz — A rising star in the House who has pushed bipartisan legislation

— 4th District: Jim Matheson — Independent Democrat preferable to radical rightist Mia Love

For Utah Governor:

— Gary Herbert: Has steadily grown in the job he inherited from Jon Huntsman

For Utah Attorney General:

— Dee Smith: Experienced county prosecutor clear choice over corporate panderer John Swallow

For Salt Lake County Mayor:

— Ben McAdams: State senator with remarkable ability to build bipartisan consensus

For Salt Lake County Council:

— At-Large: Jim Bradley: Steady, seasoned hand who knows the ropes of county government

— District 2: Michael Jensen: Experience, energy and expertise earn him a fourth term

— District 4: Sam Granato: Former chair of liquor commission opposes SkiLink gondola

— District 6: Paul Recanzone: Will put teeth in Foothills and Canyons Overlay Zone

Salt Lake County Proposition 1, Parks Bond:

— For: $47 million in bonds for parks, open space, wildlife and trails a sound investment in future

Utah Constitutional Amendments:

— Amendment A, Severance Tax Revenue to Trust Fund: No. Would hamstring future budget makers

— Amendment B, Property Tax Break for Active Military: Yes. Long overdue help for the troops

Our endorsements reflect how the board would vote if it had a ballot. As always, the choice is yours.