Party platform

As Utah moved toward statehood, the electoral politics in the territory became more antagonistic. Until the 1890s the main political parties in Utah were the Liberal Party (primarily non-Mormon "gentiles") and the People's Party (primarily Mormons). Both parties were involved in contentious elections, but until the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act, the People's party easily won the elections. After the passage of the Edmunds-Tucker Act and the disfranchisement of polygamists, the Liberal Party surprisingly won elections in Ogden and Salt Lake City in the late 1880s. These elections were contentious and were marked with claims of voter fraud and with raucous celebrations by the winners.

National parties

After the Woodruff Manifesto of 1890 the two parties in Utah began to align with national political parties. Liberal Party members primarily became Republican, and the People's Party largely merged into the Democratic Party.

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This page was last updated May 29, 2002. directly.