As Utah confronts the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 110,000 Americans, and urgent and valid questions about systemic inequality and police brutality against Black Americans, we are looking for leaders to guide us.
As a native Utahn, with nieces and nephews growing up here during this deadly time, I am searching for state leaders I can trust to put Utah families and values at the center of their actions. Right now, Utah is coming up short — especially at state attorney general.
Sean Reyes has been a disaster for us, from his assaults on affordable health care access to his cozying up to Donald Trump.
Recently, Utah voters got an early look at what the Republican Party is offering in terms of attorney general candidates. During the only primary debate between Republican AG candidates, current Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes repeatedly dodged questions and failed to discuss the kitchen table issues on so many Utahns’ minds.
Keep in mind, the only reason this debate happened was because Reyes didn’t garner enough support during the party convention in May to avoid a primary later this month. It’s not just his debate answers that raise red flags, recent polling shows him in a surprisingly close race for his party’s nomination.
Multiple times throughout the debate, Reyes was put on notice for his lack of transparency around the dark money groups contributing to his campaign and the numerous questionable no-bid contracts with companies connected to former staffers and political operatives. His inability to give a direct answer to why he entered into such a cozy relationship with Banjo, a shady surveillance company collecting private data on millions of Utahns, tells voters everything they need to know: They can’t trust Sean Reyes.
As I think about my family and friends in Utah, the most concerning omission from the debate was a discussion about health care. The truth is neither Republican talked about access to affordable health care because they know it’s a losing issue for them.
As tens of thousands of Utahns face unemployment and potentially the loss of their employer-provided health care due to COVID-19, Reyes is in court using taxpayer dollars to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. If Reyes gets his way, health care for more than 102,000 Utahns will disappear and health care protections for more than 1.2 million Utahns with pre-existing conditions will evaporate.
If Reyes gets his way, insurance companies will be free to increase the cost of coverage, potentially pricing out people with diabetes, asthma, and other common pre-existing conditions of their much-needed care. If Reyes gets his way, lives will be put at risk. All so he can score political points with President Trump.
No wonder Reyes doesn’t want to talk about health care. He knows full well the important role the Affordable Care Act plays in helping families and communities confront the fallout from COVID — yet he still doubled down on his taxpayer-funded effort to take it away.
It’s moments like these that make it crystal clear that the Utah attorney general should be focused on protecting Utahns and our communities – not wasting money trying to repeal a law the U.S. Supreme Court ruled constitutional, multiple times.
I was born and raised in Utah. It’s a place I know believes in unity, believes in family, believes in taking care of one another. Nothing about Reyes and his stance on health care lines up with Utah values.
To Utah voters, please don’t let the AG race fly under the radar or get lost in the chaos of the race for the White House. This office matters — and voters have a chance to elect a leader who aligns with Utah values and is willing to stand up for us, not just political pals and donors.
If you care about health care and restoring integrity to elected office, please remember, when Reyes says he wants to “keep Utah strong,” he doesn’t mean for everyone. If he is willing to put your health care and personal data at risk, he’s not the leader Utah needs.
Sometimes the best way to address the elephant in the room is by voting them out of it.
Farah Melendez
Farah Melendez is the political director at the Democratic Attorneys General Association. She was born and raised in North Salt Lake, where her parents and siblings still reside. She now lives in Washington, D.C.