Unlocking Politics with Stan Lockhart

Sean shares what it is like being an attorney general. He talks about putting out fires and serving the community. He discusses recent projects including protecting pre-teens from social media, going after retail theft rings, and fighting human trafficking. Sean also discusses the impact that serving as attorney general has had on his family.

Sean Reyes comes from a rich heritage of leadership and service. He shares where he comes from and what led him to run for Attorney General for the state of Utah.

He shares the inspiring story of his late father Norberto "Buddy" who landed in the United States with nothing and built a future for his family.

Finally, he discusses the challenges he faced when he was appointed as Attorney General. 

It feels like often we get so concerned about national politics that we forget the huge impact that our local legislators make in our everyday lives. Utah State Representative Mike Winder shares his insights about the importance of local elections and why it is important to get involved. 

Ranked-Choice Voting is an important issue for Mike. He talks about how ranked-choice voting solves many of the issues with elections by improving civility, eliminating wasted votes, and encouraging more people to run.

Over the past 20 years, Lehi has grown from a population of 19,000 to 72,000. Part of the reason this rapid growth has been sustainable is because of Mark Johnson.

In the early 2000s, Mayor Mark Johnson saw the need for change in Lehi when he noticed that all the homes being built were starter homes. Seeing the need for change, he ran for public office. Over the past 20 years he has been involved with the planning commission, the city council, and now as mayor.

Mayor Johnson's strong background in planning and design has improved Lehi. Tune in to learn more about what the future holds for Lehi, Utah.

Nathan Ivie was virtually unknown in Utah politics when he ran for country commissioner in 2016. It was a steep learning curve but he quickly got a hang of it. His experience with the county helped him gain a great deal of respect for the incredibly diverse economy of Utah County from agriculture to Silicon Slopes. His favorite part of serving was the people that he got to know. Moving forward his biggest concern is propaganda and the effect it is having on our national discourse. Listen to the podcast to find out more about Nathan Ivie and his plans for the future.

In my conversation with Payson, Utah Mayor Bill Wright we discuss the challenge of keeping a rural feel while also allowing for growth. Mayor Wright shares some of his favorite things about Payson including the many trails and recreation opportunities. He also tells the history of the famous Salmon Supper which draws up to 5,000 people each year. Finally, we discussed the importance of being involved in your local community.

Sue Duckworth is arguably the most loved person in the Utah House of Representatives. Caring and outspoken, she supplies the House floor with cinnamon bears and a much-needed sense of humor. Although she serves as a Democrat, she was chosen to serve as a vice-chairman, something that hasn't happened in 100 years.

Sue says that the thing that helps her connect with others is that you don't judge, you just love. She doesn't let labels define who she is. She lets her smile and kind heart define who she is.

Sue Duckworth has served in the Utah House of Representatives for the past 12 years. Prior to that, she supported her husband as he served for 10 years.

In my conversation with Senator Curt Bramble, we talk about the importance of coming together to solve problems. The most important step is clearly defining the problem. Once you have defined the problem and get everyone on board, you can begin to work together to create the solution. This perspective has helped Curt as he has worked on energy and tax reform. He says this perspective can also help us as we work to become more united as a country.

I had the opportunity to visit with my good friend Brian Tate to discuss politics. This conversation was a change from my typical interviews with guests who hold positions in state leadership. It was refreshing to hear the perspective of someone whose life isn't immersed in politics.

We discuss the role of conflict in politics, the election, partisanship, and hypocrisy in politics. 

In part two of my conversation with Val Peterson we talk about the secret sauce to his success. Val Peterson talks about surrounding himself with people who are better and smarter than he is. He also talks about how all of his accomplishments wouldn't have happened without the support of his wife, Ann.