NATIONAL MEDIA ALERT: ATTORNEY TERRY R SPENCER
Terry R. Spencer, Ph.D., holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Brigham Young University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics. Mr. Spencer was a Senator in the Utah State Senate, serving as Chair of the Judiciary Committee.
Video of Terry R. Spencer Here:http://spencer2012.com/index.php/item/15-terrys-introduction-speech-at-the-meet-the-candidates-event
Terry Spencer Brings Serious Challenge to Incumbent. Two Primary challenges come out of Republican Convention.
Sat, 04/14/2012 - 10:59pm
WOODS CROSS — Any notion that the Republican Party has been in power so long in Davis County that the results of elections are almost scripted was turned on its ear Friday night in the party’s nominating convention.
Two veteran lawmakers, one at the state level and one at the county level, will face an inter-
party primary challenge on June 26.
Rep. Stephen Handy, R-Layton, will face Chris Crowder in a primary in House District 16 while County Commissioner John Petroff Jr. faces a primary run-off against challenger Terry Spencer, of Syracuse.
Petroff came within a whisker of winning the nomination outright in a late night ballot Friday at Woods Cross High School, but garnered just more than 59 percent of the delegate vote. A candidate needed 60 percent to avoid a primary.
The former West Point mayor was miffed after hearing the election results and was upset the race has evolved too much into a discussion of a commissioner’s salary, rather than what has been done or needs to be done at the county level.
Spencer, a former state senator, said he understands the turmoil the race has caused within the party.
“I’d be upset if I were him, too,” Spencer said of the results, which showed Petroff with 491 votes, while Spencer had 341.
He said he realizes he is taking on a party machine in opposing the commissioner, but said he is prepared to go all the way.
The commission race was close, but the House race between Handy and Crowder was even closer. In a district delegate vote, Handy garnered 48 votes to 43 for Crowder.
“Game on,” Handy said of the outcome, which he said pits a mainstream conservative against a Tea Party advocate. Crowder has been linked to the Tea Party and has criticized Handy, a two-term representative, for not being conservative enough.
“I feel good about almost a 50-50 split,” Crowder said of the outcome.
He said Handy is well-respected in local Republican circles and to push him to a primary is an accomplishment.
Other House incumbents had a much easier time winning their party nomination. Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton, Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, and Rep. Becky Edwards, R-North Salt Lake, all gained over 80 percent of the delegate vote in their bids be on the Republican ticket in November.
Only one Democrat has won a countywide election in the county in the past 59 years, but there is an increasing political divide within the ranks, as shown by the two races.
Republican Challenger Terry R. Spencer forces Petroff Jr. into a 2012 Primary Election.
FARMINGTON
— Eight votes are all that separated Davis County Commissioner John
Petroff Jr. from capturing outright the Republican Party nomination at
the county convention.
The
eight-vote margin looms large considering it’s a swing of merely four
votes from one candidate’s vote total column to the other.
It
also appears that — for whatever reason — 26 delegates attending the
April 13 convention failed to cast a ballot in the countywide commission
race.
“It’s not like we lost. We beat (Republican challenger Terry R. Spencer) by 19 percent,” Petroff said.
Petroff said he just didn’t beat Spencer by a large enough margin to avoid having a primary.
Petroff,
seeking his second four-year term in office, will now face Spencer, a
Syracuse attorney and former state senator, in the June 26 primary.
Spencer said he is ecstatic and excited to push the race forward.
“I’m expecting a very tight primary,” he said.
“It’s going to be a lot of work,” Petroff said.
But Petroff said he looks forward to sharing, during the campaign, all the good things that are happening in the county .
Regarding
the delegates who did not vote at Friday’s convention, Petroff said he
can only assume they left early. But he recognizes that even had all 26
of the missing delegates stayed and cast votes, there is no guarantee
their votes would have gone to him and closed the margin needed to claim
the nomination outright.
Davis County Republican Party Chairwoman Kris Kimball confirmed that some delegates did not cast a vote.
Of
the 858 credentialed delegates who attended Friday’s GOP convention at
Woods Cross High School, 26 failed to cast a vote in the commission
race, Kimball and Petroff said.
And
that was despite the fact that each delegate was specifically
instructed about the importance of sticking around for the entire
convention, Kimball said.
She
said some may have left the convention. But delegates leaving early
would surprise her, considering the commission race was determined prior
to determination of the state races.
Many of the delegates attending the convention were there only for the countywide commission race, she said.
And
there is no certainty, she said, that all of the delegates who failed
to vote would have been enough to give Petroff the 60 percent of the
vote needed to avoid a primary.
For
example, Kimball said, of the 88 delegates who cast first-round ballots
for commission candidate Mark Jacobs, of Bountiful — who was eliminated
early from the contest — 40 marked Petroff as their second choice on
their ballot, while 48 marked Spencer.
Kimball
said she was pleased with the way the convention ran. She said the 858
delegates who participated at the convention made up nearly 95 percent
of the 900 delegates eligible to attend and vote at the event.
Petroff "Miffed" At Republican Challenger But Will Run for Re-election as Davis County Commission
FARMINGTON -- Davis County Commissioner John Petroff Jr. has every intention of running for re-election.
"I'll be down (at the county clerk's office) first thing Friday morning," said Petroff, 66.
The filing period for those interested in running for a state or county office begins at 8 a.m. Friday and runs through the close of business March 15. Candidates are to file at their respective county clerk's offices.
Petroff, in his first four-year term on the commission, expects to be challenged on the Republican ticket by attorney Terry R. Spencer, a former Utah state senator.
Spencer publicly announced his candidacy in February.
Petroff, who served as mayor of West Point for seven years prior to serving on the commission, said his re-election bid is about continuing to move the county forward -- within budget.
"The most important thing we have done is that we have lived within our budget," Petroff said of the challenges the commission has faced in the past four years because of the tight economy.
"I don't think any of us thought the economy would be as bad as it has been," he said.
But the commission has moved on numerous public works projects, mainly additions and upgrades to the flood control channels, in an effort to protect personal property from flooding, Petroff said.
"When I was mayor of West Point, I would tell people I wanted to be known as the infrastructure mayor," said Petroff, whose portfolio of duties as commissioner includes overseeing county public works.
He said the commission also has been working with its assessor's office to prevent large swings in property tax assessments, in an attempt to reduce the number of residents who appeal their tax valuation to the county.
In 2009, about 6,000 property owners appealed their tax assessments to the county, he said. In 2011, that number dropped to about 2,000 property owners making appeals.
"It's not a flashy thing. But in county government we're not looking for flashy. We're looking for a consistent and honest approach to do the things we do," Petroff said.
The commission is also working to provide a better environment for small businesses through its emphasis on economic development, he said.
"The confidence in the national economy just has not reoccurred," Petroff said. "People have to have confidence to spend their money, and they need to spend their money if everyone is going to have a job."
FORMER UTAH SENATOR AND ATTORNEY TERRY R SPENCER
Official Website: http://www.trspencer.com/joomla/
Name: SPENCER, TERRY R
Member ID: 06335
Member Type: Attorney
License Status: Active
Firm: TERRY R SPENCER Ph.D, PC
City: Sandy
Address: 140 W 9000 S STE 9
Sandy, Utah 84070
U.S.A.
Phone: 801-566-1884
Fax: 801-562-5151
E-mail: (Private)
Law School: Brigham Young University
Graduated:
Bar Admission: 10/27/1992
Professional Reviews: See http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3722721918/spencer-terry-r--spencer-mc-arthur--rodgers-sandy
| Terry R. Spencer, PhD. |
|
|
|
Mr. Spencer received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from
Brigham Young University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from
Utah State University. Mr. Spencer served as a Senator in the Utah State
Senate, serving on the Justice Committee. Mr. Spencer has extensive
background experience in family law, securities law, oil and gas,
criminal law and general civil law cases.
Terry Spencer Announces Candidacy for Davis County Commissioner:
I am excited to announce my candidacy for a seat on the Davis County Commission. While I am a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, I often think of the words spoken by Robert F. Kennedy: "I do not do this to oppose any one man, but to propose new ideas." With the complexity of issues facing Davis County, I believe the time is right for a conservative legal mind to serve directly on the County Commission.
As you may know, I have been a resident of Davis County for most of my adult life and have worn many hats over the past 20 years. I am a husband and Father, and have been a teacher, a financial analyst, a lawyer and even a politician. The last time I was personally involved in politics, other than to vote or assist in another's campaign, was nine years ago when I finished a term in the Utah State Senate, where I represented the middle third of Davis County.
From
a young age, I have been involved with politics. From working on local
campaigns to being both a county and state delegate, I wanted to give
back to the community in any way I could. This interest in politics led
me to a B.S. Degree in Political Science from Utah State University in
1982. This initial college degree further sparked me to continue my
education at Utah State University. I received my M.S. Degree in 1984
and my Ph.D. in 1991, both in Economics.Along with my educational pursuits in the 1980s and early 1990s, I also found time to gain valuable business experience in both the public and private sector, working for the United States Government and a Fortune 500 aerospace company. Still driven to learn as much as possible about government, I received my J.D. (Law Degree) from BYU in 1991.
With my education complete, I turned my sights on running a successful Law Firm, which was started in 1991, and being elected to the Utah State Senate in 1998. My philosophy of "every day is a chance to improve", has led to continued political involvement as well as the growth of my Law Firm to encompass several associate attorneys and offices in both Sandy, Utah, and South Ogden, Utah. This Law Firm handles legal matters related to real estate, estate planning, criminal law and domestic law (divorces, adoptions and child custody cases).
Spencer declares his candidacy for Davis County Commission
Wed, 02/22/2012 - 7:19pm
FARMINGTON -- Former state Sen. Terry R. Spencer, of Syracuse, has declared his candidacy for the Davis County Commission, and via a series of letters, he has been in contact with potential delegates.
Officially, however, candidates do not file for office until March 9.
Spencer, 51, is challenging Davis County Commissioner John Petroff Jr. on the Republican ticket.
Petroff is currently finishing his first four-year term on the commission, having been elected in November 2008 and beginning his term in January 2009.
Prior to that, Petroff served as West Point mayor for seven years.
Petroff said he intends to seek re-election, but has not yet made an official public announcement.
The filing period begins at 8 a.m. March 9 and ends at 5 p.m. March 15, according to county officials.
Candidates are to file with their respective county clerk's offices.
The Davis County Republican Party Convention will be at 7 p.m. April 13 at Woods Cross High, with the GOP's neighborhood caucus meetings being held at 7 p.m. March 15.
In a letter to potential delegates, Spencer states that it has been nine years since he finished a term in the state Senate, and that he is making a personal return to politics out of concern about a "creeping government."
Spencer, from 1999 to 2002, served one term in Utah's 22nd Senate District seat. Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, currently serves in that capacity.
"Rather, government's role should be limited to those functions which the private sector cannot or will not provide, such as national defense, road systems, and the taking care of those citizens who are truly unable to care for themselves," Spencer stated in a letter.
In addition to being a former lawmaker, Spencer said, he has worn many other hats while living most of his adult life in Davis County. Some of those positions have included being a teacher, a financial analyst and a lawyer, he said.
Spencer, who currently practices law with offices in South Ogden and Sandy, said his background gives him a "unique skill set" to help serve in county government.
"Those who have known me over the past two decades have realized that I will not shy away from making the tough political decisions. I do have the ability to say 'No,' just ask my children," he said.
However, societal political decisions should not be made in a vacuum, said Spencer, who is forming an election policy committee to get input on what changes should be made to the existing Davis County government structure.
