There likely won’t be a Democratic candidate on the ballot in the Sandy area’s Senate District 9 this year — and the reason why comes down to who’s considered a ‘physician’ under Utah code.
A few days after Senate District 9 candidate Abigail Wright stepped aside on May 18, her physician assistant sent a letter to Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen that said a family health issue would “make it very difficult for Abigail to continue running for office.”
Utah’s election code says the state central committee of a party can submit a name to fill a vacancy if the original candidate resigns “because of acquiring a physical or mental disability as certified by a physician.