Riebe says hard work paid off in convention win, taking aim at November
Jun 29, 2023, 9:00 PM

Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, speaks during Senate media availability on day one of the 2023 Legislature at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. Riebe is one of four women vying to replace Rep. Chris Stewart in the 2nd Congressional District. (Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, won the Democratic nomination Wednesday night to be the party’s nominee in the upcoming special election to fill the 2nd Congressional District seat.
Riebe, who won the nomination with nearly 86% of the vote, tells KSL NewsRadio her work prior to the convention paid off.
“We tried to call as many delegates as we could on the list,” she said. “You know, I’ve been working around the state trying to build capacity. So, I felt a lot of the delegates already knew me.”
Party united, Riebe says that’s crucial
Following Wednesday night’s convention, Diane Lewis, Utah Democratic Party chairwoman, says the party is 100% behind Riebe.
Riebe says it’s important for the party to be unified heading into the election season.
“We all go through our ups and downs, but it’s nice,” Riebe said. “The Democratic Party is where they need to be right now. You know, we had some tumultuous experiences in the last couple of years.”
While Celeste Maloy won the Republic Party nomination last week, she will still have to get through the primary election on Sept. 5.
Riebe is asked by a guest host of Dave & Dujanovic, “How do you keep your name out there between now and November, while the Republicans are fighting amongst themselves?”
“It’s nice to be in the news,” she said. “But I guess some of the news coming out of the Republican Party isn’t going to be great news. Maybe a little bit of fighting, you know, mudslinging, and I don’t need to be a part of that. I just really want to do the work for the people of Utah.”
Riebe explains why she is the right person for the job.
“I live here in the state, I’ve not gone anywhere,” she said. “I work with communities every day. So, I think when you start looking at who you really want representing you, and who is actually living the same life that you live. I would be one of the best candidates you could vote for.”
Listen to the entire segment.
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.
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