With thanks to

BYU 1984 Magazine

Brigham Tomco writes:

Americans will chose their next president on Tuesday. Eyes will be glued on the results of a handful of states where polls show former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris separated by less than the margin of error.

Utah is far from being a “swing state,” but the battle for the White House has hung over the biggest statewide and congressional elections in Utah as candidates have been asked to weigh in on the personalities and issues that underly the national debate.

The Republican Party nominee for president, who is expected to win the Beehive State by 30 percentage points, has been a near-constant feature of Utah’s election season: from the U.S. Senate race — where Rep. John Curtis relied on his pragmatic approach to Trump in a bid to replace outspoken Trump-critic Sen. Mitt Romney — to the gubernatorial race — where Gov. Spencer Cox put his “Disagree Better” mantra to the test with an endorsement of Trump.

Read more about the biggest Utah races to follow and how the candidates have incorporated presidential politics into their bid to represent their home state.

More in Politics

Rapids to reality: My journey down 97 miles of the Colorado River

I admit I’m a little jealous of my colleague Emma Pitts, as she recently had the opportunity to raft almost 100 miles of the Colorado River. If you ever have the chance to go whitewater rafting, especially on the Colorado or Green River, it’s an unbeatable experience. Here’s what Emma has to say about it:

“As I hopped onto a raft, surrounded by deep red, rugged river canyons, submitting myself to six days of rafting down a river with complete strangers and no service, panic that I would be able to give the Colorado River the justice and attention it deserved began to settle in.

“Considered the lifeline of the West, the river never crossed my mind until this assignment. An Oklahoma native, I didn’t reap the benefits of the Colorado River until moving to Utah five years ago. I didn’t fully grasp those benefits — and how much I took the water source for granted — until I was in a life jacket and helmet, riding its rapids with people who have devoted their careers to its survival.

“As a journalist, I get to be a fly on the wall in circumstances I would have never encountered otherwise. I recently found myself on assignment rafting 97 miles of the Colorado River for six days with journalists, scientists, philanthropists and river experts. Coming from different backgrounds and with different experience levels, my raftmates shared one thing in common — they care about what becomes of the Colorado River.”

Read more about the fight to save the Colorado River.

FROM OUR SPONSOR BYU 1984 MAGAZINE

SPECIAL OFFER: Relive the trail to fame and glory

Calling all BYU fans! This year is the 40th anniversary of BYU's magical 1984 season, where the Cougars went undefeated and claimed the National Championship. Relive the glory of victory with an exclusive retrospective magazine from the Deseret News, "1984: The Year BYU Was Second to None."

Inside you'll find never-before-read stories from the players on the '84 team, sports writers who covered each play and the insights from the family of LaVell Edwards. This is a limited edition magazine, perfect for every Cougar fan who bleeds blue. Order now!

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