Former Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon is eyeing a return to politics as he’s considering a bid to replace Jim Dabakis as chair of the Utah Democratic Party. Â
Corroon tells Utah Policy his interest in the job is growing.
“When somebody first brought the job up to me, I wasn’t interested at all,” says Corroon. “But, then I found myself thinking about the position when I would wake up in the morning. If you’re thinking about something first thing in the morning, that probably means there’s some interest there.”
Corroon was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2010, losing to Gary Herbert by 32 points. Corroon says that experience would shape his approach to the job if he ends up winning.Â
“It’s important to focus on the entire state, not just Salt Lake County. That’s easier said than done, but it’s clear the other counties need some attention and the party should be focusing statewide.”
Democrats are near all-time lows in the Utah legislature. Corroon says there’s no magic wand to change that situation other than hard work.
“This is something that’s not going to change overnight. People grow up with their families belonging to a party and they tend to vote the same way. It’s possible to change that, but there’s no quick fix.”
The Utah Democratic party has not yet announced the process for picking a replacement for Dabakis who resigned as party chair last week.Â
Corroon says he hasn’t made up his mind yet, but he knows he will have to make a decision on whether to run quite soon.
Other names being bandied about as possible candidates to replace Dabakis are former party Treasurer Rob Miller and former legislative candidate Jeff Bell.
