With this in mind, Peterson and Brown laid out an eleven-point plan to promote rural development:
- Enhancing enforcement of existing laws prohibiting abusive loan terms, unconscionable lending, and deceptive advertising, as well as capping the rates of interests on payday loans.
- Making affordable health care more accessible throughout Utah, including mental health treatment by offering telehealth programs, rural clinics, and hospitals financial support.
- Increasing access to broadband internet throughout rural Utah to enhance business connections, educational opportunities, and healthcare options.
- Setting up a student loan program for young people who would like to be ranchers and farmers.
- Setting up public-private meatpacking co-operatives to substitute off-shore multinational agribusinesses to safeguard the economic independence of rural citizens.
- Offering one-time business credits to businesses in rural areas that create bona fide apprenticeship programs for young workers.
- Expanding and developing outdoor industries in Utah, including the state/federal land management efforts, outdoor-oriented retailers, and the tourism industry.
- Initiating legislation to develop public financial support and renewable-energy worker training grants for green energy development.
- Initiating right-to-repair legislation to combat anti-competitive actions by farm equipment producers that require their products to only be repaired by high-cost dealers.
- Expanding Utah’s energy royalties shares and driving payment in place of taxes from federal government-controlled real estate up to market values.
- Promoting Utah’s research university to advance innovation in the banking, aerospace research, biotechnology, and information technology industry.
Although Chris Peterson did not win Utah’s 2020 gubernatorial race, he made headlines by winning more votes than any Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Utah’s history. He managed to secure 416,862 votes which represent more than thirty percent of the total votes. Before Peterson, none of the Democratic candidates running in the state’s gubernatorial race had managed to secure over thirty percent of the popular vote.
It was a tough race, but Peterson upheld his integrity and ran an honorable campaign. He stood up for his beliefs and was a voice for folks who are not well represented in the government. When Peterson entered the Utah gubernatorial race he was aware of the state’s historically strong Republican political inclination. Nonetheless, he cared about Utahns and desired to make a difference in the Utah community and this is what kept him going.
He also believes that the state is leaning more towards the Democratic party. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement estimates that during the 2020 presidential election about half of the registered young adults in Utah aged between eighteen and twenty-nine years old voted for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, while forty-six percent voted for Republican candidate Donald Trump. This suggests that the number of young people who have values that resonate with the republican party is increasing. Several young people today believe that the government should be held accountable and work in their interest. They are also more tolerant and believe in accepting others. If this trend continues, the Democratic Party will grow its influence in Utah and become more competitive.
Chris Peterson continues to be actively engaged in consumer protection and public service. He is happily married and has three beautiful children with whom he resides in Salt Lake City. The Petersons enjoy camping, skiing, and hiking in Utah’s spectacular outdoors.…