A Frail Don Ipson Forced to Primary - Time to Retire?

By Ed Wallace, Publisher and WashCo Delegate – March 25, 2024

The WashCoGOP Republican Convention was held Saturday at Hurricane HS. An applaudable 94.5% of elected delegates attended. After a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, six candidates were elected by acclamation because no one opposed them. Then it took about 30 minutes to teach everyone the QR system for voting and then confirming it worked. Then the State Senate candidates spoke their peace. Chad Bennion went first, followed by Cory Green, and Don Ipson (16 year incumbent).

Out of the 18 candidates that spoke, Ipson seemed to have the most difficulty with speaking while glancing at his script. His movements and cadence reminded me of Joe Biden.

The first round votes were Bennion – 191 (52.5%), Green – 9 (.024%), and Ipson – 162 (44.5%)

A candidate needed 70% of the vote to win at caucus

So, there was a second round of voting that did not include Cory Green.

Both Bennion and Ipson gave their speeches and the delegates voted again.

The final tally was Bennion at 58.03% and Ipson at 41.97%

Ipson actually decreased his votes after his second speech. No surprise there because he appeared shocked or enraged and was as white as a sheet. He stumbled through his second speech, essentially repeating his first, and spent his time waiting for the results by canoodling with other RINO establishment types,and staring people down. He even stared at me for 10 seconds even though we’ve never been formally introduced. For all I know, he was staring out into space. Watch video:

A GOP Delegate explains the Ipson effect.

The establishment group like to stay in their own tight-knit bundle of power. This was evident to anyone at the WashCo Republican Convention last Friday who was paying attention.

Imagine being a newer representative like Neil Walter, Colin Jack and Joe Elison. They HAD to vote for Ipson….or their bills would never have an easy time making them through the senate.

Ipson is a bully… a mean one, everyone knows this. It didn’t matter if Ipson won or lost at the convention. Delegate votes are online forever for anyone to see. Ipson would see that they didn’t vote for him and he would make sure their projects suffered or died, or at least try to make that happen. Even if he doesn’t get reelected, Ipson has enough buddies in the Senate to go after those Reps who voted against him and make their bills die one way or another. The Reps had to vote Ipson… it’s a matter of survival.

Ipson is not a nice person and is doing all he can to discredit opponents. His people sent out a link to the Dr. Phil Show last week where one of his opponents, Cory Green, was a guest on the show. Honestly, it was a 2-man race between Bennion and Ipson. Why drag Cory Green into the mix?

Ipson sat on a ramp by the stage at the convention facing the audience maybe to show the delegates that he is watching them. It seemed that he eyeballing them to intimidate them. Imagine if you work for the sheriff’s department and you vote against Ipson. Ipson calls Sheriff Brooksby and demands that the employee gets some type of write up or gives him/her a hard time. What if any county employee, who is a delegate, voted against Ipson? Ipson sees that the county employee voted against him and calls one of the county commissioners to demand that they find a way to intimidate them or somehow punish them. The county has many employees. If they are delegates, they HAD to vote for Ipson.

It is no secret that County Commissioners Gil Almquist and Victor Iverson were really upset with Ipson recently for voting to fund the new stadiums in Salt Lake. But look, all 3 commissioners voted for Don Ipson at the convention. They HAD to vote for him.

Many delegates noticed and laughed about Ipson’s booth at the convention at Hurricane High School. He brought in a big wooden “Dixie” for the backdrop of his booth. Hilarious. The guy who literally made sure the history and heritage of Dixie State was destroyed and then suddenly he loves Dixie? Voters are not blind. Ipson did not do anything to save the Dixie name except voting last to keep the name. Delegates knew the truth which was reflect by their votes.

Ed’s Note

So, now we move onto a costly primary with all the gunk and buck that we’ve seen so far. In a statement to This Week in WahCo, Bennion stated “Thank you for your service as a delegate. Your overwhelming support today was so gratifying. THANK YOU!. I won’t let you down and that includes those who supported my opponent.”

That’s quite a gracious statement coming from someone who will be enduring attacks from all sides as the establishment and our overlords band together to keep their iron grip on power.

I didn’t see any statement from Ipson, thankful or not. Considering his disdain and rejection of the Caucus system, just like Romney, he should be thanking his lucky stars that there are enough voters still falling for his dismal performance of not upholding our GOP party values and platform, and still fearful of his wrath.

Senator, there comes a time to call it quits. Now might be your time to exit your public service with whatever dignity you have left. Romney did it, Brad Last did it without any harm to the cherished, all-important Appropriations Committee that you brag about, and Curt Bramble recently announced his retirement from office.

You’ve done some good things, and some very damaging things. People are seldom remembered for the good things. Your legacy is already enshrined by your destruction of Dixie with HB278, your disdain for the caucus system (SB54), your sponsorship of socialist bill SB288 (Government is not a charity), your vote for an Art V convention (SJR9), and your support of the 2018 Tax Act (SB2001) which the voters of Utah overwhelmingly rejected, just to name a few.

Isn’t it time for our party to unite behind the principles it was established to uphold? Do you really want to sink lower than your 45% lifetime (16 years) Utah Grassroots score based upon your adherence to the U.S & Utah Constitutions, and our party platform?

Do you really want to make things any worse than you already have? As evidenced by your decrease in support within minutes at the convention, things are only going to go downhill as more truths come out.

You seem more intent on advocating for woke issues that destroy our culture instead of representing your constituents. Why would you want to waste thousands of hours of our time and all the money it takes to drag on a campaign that is clearly going against you?

Our Legislature is largely composed of elected members of Utah’s dominant religion who don’t do anything impressive. We have been appointing worthless priests whose actions are often anti-Christ on their face.

The Lord said that “He holds men accountable for their acts in relation” to governments “both in making laws and administering them” (D&C 134:1).

He expects us to know that the people we vote for are in the spirit of liberty, which is the Spirit of Christ. The Lord challenged Lot to look for righteous people, people who had the gift of prophecy & revelation.

By your countenance and your actions, you have neither. You stand in your own light.

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