Commissioner Commends Lewis For Service To Washington County

In a letter received by the Washington County Republican Party Chair, the Washington County Clerk/Auditor, Susan Lewis, has indicated she will be resigning, effective May 17th, 2023.

Lewis has served in this position since 2021. According to her resignation letter, she and her husband will be moving outside of Washington County, and she recognizes the importance of residing in the area while holding this position.

Some say Lewis's resignation comes in the heat of accusations of elections being rigged or defrauded in some way. Washington County Commissioner Gil Almquist said there's nothing further from the truth.

"There has been all these election deniers and election hoo-doos going around that doubt everything," he said. "They've taken their conspiracies to the next level. Susan has done such a great job. She's made a personal decision to retire ... and move near her grandkids. The election deniers are saying, 'No, she just can't take the heat and she quit and this is her way out.' The reality is that has nothing to do with her decision."

Washington County Republican Party Chair, Lesa Sandberg conveyed her disappointment at losing Susan, highlighting the exemplary job she has done under very difficult circumstances. The entire Executive Committee of the Washington County Republican Party wishes the very best for Susan and her family during this time of change.

Lewis has indicated she will appoint her Chief Deputy Ryan Sullivan as interim Clerk/Auditor until a special election can be held. Since Lewis ran for the office as a Republican and is resigning before her term is finished, Utah State Law allows the Washington County Republican Party to select a replacement to finish her term. According to the bylaws of the Washington County Republican Party, a special election to make that selection will be held by the County Central Committee of the Washington County Republican Party.

The County Central Committee is composed of Republican Precinct Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Washington County, along with the Washington County Republican Party Executive Committee, State Central Committee Members, and Republican Elected Officials that reside in the county. A County Central Committee meeting was already scheduled for June 6, 2023. The special election will be added to the agenda of that meeting.

Any registered Republican in Washington County can file to run in the special election. Any potential candidate needs to download and fill out the Intent To Run form, Disclosure Form and Delegate List Agreement found at https://wcrputah.com/candidate-disclosures. All three forms need to be emailed to the Washington County Republican Party Secretary, Brandan Morgan at wcrpsecretary.utah@gmail.com. To be considered a candidate, all three documents must be sent to Brandan by 5 PM on May 12, 2023.