Ben McAdams - Statesman and the best person to be Salt Lake County's next Mayor

Cathy and I joined a press conference of Mayors from around
Salt Lake County expressing our Support for
Ben McAdams as the next Salt Lake County Mayor

While we've supported many candidates in Carlton's 15 years of public service and even more in a lifetime of political activity, few rise to the standard of statesman-like leadership as our good friend, Senator Ben McAdams.  While many would scratch their head, knowing of our Republican background, as to why we would be supporting the Democratic candidate, our firm reply is that we need the best person to help lead our community.  Ben represents the qualities we would look for in someone who can reach across divides and show leadership in difficult situations. Also, he can help set a course for county government that would deliver the best services at a reasonable cost and efficient use of the taxpayer's dollars.  We've become good friends with Ben and Julie over the last five years and know that we can trust Ben. He is someone who can help our community come together and move forward.

Both of us don't ever mark straight party ballots, even though we defer heavily to a Republican ticket.  Neither of us believe poor candidates, on either side, deserve a pass based upon a party.  We still laugh however about an experience that happened on the day when Carlton asked Cathy to marry her in March of 1990.  We had only dated for a period of six weeks, and while we knew we were right for each other, we probably didn't know the details like we do 22 years later.  Carlton had just proposed to Cathy on the top of Ensign Peak and went driving away in his 1966 Chevy Pickup (a real piece of work) to tell family and friends. In a panic, Carlton looked at Cathy and in a serious tone asked, "Are you Republican or Democrat?"  In an astonished look, Cathy replied, "Republican, I guess."  OK so maybe not the script Carlton should have used, but his political family has strong allegiance to the Republican Party.  Mitt Romney is a good family friend and we believe he should be the next President of the United States.  In that same breath Ben McAdams should be the next Mayor of Salt Lake County.

We've always told friends who didn't have the courage to publicly support Carlton in his failed 2008 State Senate Race, who were Democrats, that no one knows what you do in the voting booth.  In the end, that is really where it matters.  Obviously we hope you'll be more public about your support for Ben and join us in saying it is good government that really matters, not the party.  That goes for both sides.  This will be a great year of change for many elected offices and we think it will be so for Salt Lake County and would ask you to vote for Ben McAdams for Salt Lake County Mayor!

Carlton & Cathy Christensen