Summit County Democrats to Choose Interim Clerk at April 7 Convention

Furse, originally appointed in 2021 and winner of a full term in the 2022 election, said other Democrats may apply for the interim position, but called it unlikely that anyone other than Stevens would throw their name in, given no other Democratic candidates filed to run for clerk in January.

With County Clerk Eve Furse's April 8 departure setting a tight clock for Summit County government, the Summit County Democratic Party will convene a nominating convention at Park City High School on April 7 to choose who sits behind the clerk's desk in Coalville next.

Furse announced in December her intention to not seek reelection and in March decided she would step down in April before the end of her term to facilitate a smoother transition for the county's next clerk. Once confirmed by the council, the new clerk will serve for the remainder of Furse's term, which ends in January 2027.

The Summit County Council will notify the Summit County Democratic Party of Furse's resignation within 10 days of her announcement, in accordance with state law, and the local Democratic Party will then select an interim clerk, who will be recommended to the Council for a formal appointment. Under Utah law, the party has 30 days from the vacancy to submit that nominee to the Council.

The convention is open to the public, but the Summit County Democratic Party will meet at Park City High School April 7 at 7 p.m. to select a nominee, with only accredited party delegates casting votes. The party's official website lists the start time as 6 p.m.; anyone planning to attend should confirm the time with party chair Anne Kirvan at chair@scdems.org before the event.

Stevens confirmed to The Park Record that she plans to apply for the nomination. Stevens, a Democrat, previously sat on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission and County Council, while Woolstenhulme, a Republican, was a member of the South Summit school board for eight years. As a Democrat, Stevens has an opportunity to pursue the interim appointment, unlike Woolstenhulme, who filed to run for the seat in the general election but cannot be nominated through the Democratic Party process.

Furse drew a direct parallel to her own 2021 appointment. "It would be odd, I think, for the party to let somebody only serve a short term," she said. "When I came in as a party appointment, a lot of the delegates asked me, 'Are you willing to stand for election in 2022? Because we don't want to have a temporary person.' That was important to delegates, so that will likely be part of the process again."

The timing of Furse's exit is deliberate. She said some things in her personal life were coming up and she was going to need to take time away from the county anyway: "The way the election cycle works, there are sweet spots, and this is one of them. If I wait too much longer to see how it goes and whether I need to leave later, that puts whoever would come in after me in a really bad position." Furse said she hoped her April retirement would allow her temporary successor to be in place for the start of the primary election season in June and to prepare for the general election in November.

Candidates seeking the interim nomination must be registered Summit County voters, have lived in the county for at least one year, hold U.S. citizenship, and demonstrate the ability to fulfill the statutory duties of the clerk's office, including oversight of elections, public records, and financial administration. Applicants must also submit a resume and photo for convention delegates to review. They have until March 31 to apply, and applications can be emailed to party chair Anne Kirvan until March 31 at 5 p.m.

Voters will choose the next clerk for a four-year term in November, as the position will appear on the general election ballot. Whoever the delegates select on April 7 will effectively be auditioning for that November race, stepping into the clerk's office in Coalville with a primary season already on the horizon.