Two Utahns discuss their presidential vote

SALT LAKE CITY — The presidential race is tight and tensions are high. KSL NewsRadio spoke with two Utah voters who are rooting for different candidates. 

A vote for Trump

Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner is voting for former President Donald Trump. Powers has worked in the private sector for almost  two decades. She started her work as a public servant more than five years ago when she was the Utah County Clerk.

According to Powers Gardner, the main issue driving her vote this election is inflation.

“As a mother of six, it’s undeniable that I spend a lot more money on groceries today than I did four years ago.”

Polling this election shows inflation and the economy are a top concern for many Americans. Powers Gardner said she’s confident former President Trump will turn things around and that his first presidency is proof.

“Between his pro-business, pro-economic, pro-free market economy, really helped particularly places like Utah where we have so many entrepreneurs, that’s very helpful to us,” she said. “Plus a peaceful world allows our companies and our people to do business globally, which helped the economy.”

Powers Gardner said the former president’s rhetoric isn’t as important as his policies.

“It’s way more important to have somebody that maybe says mean things that actually gets things done in government than to have somebody who says nice things, but whose policies makes our family life harder.”

A vote for Harris

This is the first presidential election for 20-year-old University of Utah student Harleen Saini, who already been involved in politics.

Saini has worked for months with the Utah Democratic Party campaigning for local and national races.

At the top of her list of concerns? Abortion rights.

“I am very heavy believer [that] everyone should just have control and autonomy over their own bodies. So, I really supported Harris’ campaign on giving women and anyone with reproductive organs the ability to choose what they wanted to do with them and just have the safety of getting medical help when they need it,” Saini said.

Additionally, she said the cost of higher education and health care costs are top priorities for her. And she thinks the things Harris has done as vice president are indicative of what’s to come in her presidency. She also said Harris’ attitude will help her get things done. 

“I think, as president and as a woman, she’ll be able to listen more to the people and be able to take into consideration everyone’s concerns. I think she just has a very amazing attitude towards her campaign … the way that she handles different debates, the way that she handles answering questions towards policies,” she said. “The attitude that she has really makes me confident that she’ll be able to listen to people and come from a place of love for the community.”

If Trump wins, Saini said she’d be disappointed. But she says there will always be Democrats in office that she knows she can trust.

More election news: After printer trouble, Utah County elections officials printing emergency ballots