Sheryl Allen
Encyclopedia
Sheryl L. Allen is a Republican
politician and educator from Bountiful, Utah
. She represented the 19th District of the Utah House of Representatives
from 1994 to 2011. Before entering politics, Allen was a teacher and the president of the Davis County Board of Education
.
In May 2010, Salt Lake County
mayor Peter Corroon
, the Democratic
candidate for Governor of Utah, selected Allen as his running mate
for the office of Lieutenant Governor
, making them the first major bipartisan
ticket
in Utah
state history. However, they were defeated by the all-Republican ticket of Gary Herbert and Greg Bell
in the 2010 gubernatorial election
.
, where she received a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1965. She is married to John Allen, the chief statistician of the Utah Jazz
. The Allens have four children and seven grandchildren.
and took office on January 1, 1977. Reading, who became board president, and Allen worked to stop alleged mismanagement and ended the practice of officials receiving kickbacks from building contractors. Allen became board president with the death of Reading in March 1982. In 1988, Allen stated that she was stepping down from the board the following year to pursue graduate studies. In 1990, she received a Master's degree in Education Administration from the University of Utah.
Allen was also the public relations director of the Davis Applied Technology Center
from 1985 to 1995. She became the foundation director of the Davis School District
in 1995.
Kim Burningham, who was stepping down after 15 years of service. Allen won with 54% of the vote and took office on July 20, 1994.
On January 26, 1996, eight hours after the execution by firing squad
of John Albert Taylor
, Allen introduced a bill
to eliminate the firing squad, which did not pass. She later succeeded in passing HB180, which removed the right of the condemned to choose their method of execution after February 2004.
In 2005, Allen was awarded Legislator of the Year by the Utah School Board Association. She was re-elected to her eighth term in the state legislature in 2008 with over 80% of the vote. Allen is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Committee. She is also the co-chairperson of the Economic Development and Revenue Appropriations Subcommittee.
In 2008, Allen was involved in bringing forth an investigation by the Utah House Ethics Committee that led to the reprimand
of fellow Republican house member Greg Hughes. Facing political ostracization from within her own party, Allen announced that she would not seek another term as a state representative in 2010.
mayor Peter Corroon
asked Allen to be his running mate
as lieutenant governor in his gubernatorial bid against incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert. As Corroon ran as a Democrat and Allen as a Republican, this was the first bipartisan
team on a single ticket
between major political parties in a Utah state election. In 1976, governor Scott M. Matheson
and lieutenant governor David Smith Monson
were elected from different parties, but on separate tickets. Political clashes between Matheson and Monson led to changes in state election law, requiring joint tickets in subsequent elections.
Corroon and Allen ran on a moderate ticket to appeal to independent
voters. A major platform
of their campaign was the improvement of education in the state of Utah. Corroon's campaign accused Herbert's governorship of being "corrupt." After the second most expensive gubernatorial campaign in Utah history, Herbert won the election on November 2, 2010.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician and educator from Bountiful, Utah
Bountiful, Utah
Bountiful is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 42,552, a three percent increase over the 2000 figure of 41,301...
. She represented the 19th District of the Utah House of Representatives
Utah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district contains an average population of 35,000 people...
from 1994 to 2011. Before entering politics, Allen was a teacher and the president of the Davis County Board of Education
Davis School District
Davis School District is a school district serving Davis County, Utah. Headquartered in the county seat of Farmington, it is the 61st largest school district in the United States and the 3rd largest school district in Utah with 66,579 students attending Davis schools as of 2011 . It is located...
.
In May 2010, Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
mayor Peter Corroon
Peter Corroon
Peter Maitland Corroon is the current mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah, and a member of the Democratic Party. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in the Utah gubernatorial election, 2010, losing to Gary Herbert by a 33 point margin...
, the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate for Governor of Utah, selected Allen as his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
for the office of Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Utah
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Utah was created in 1975. There have only been seven Lieutenant Governors in Utah's history. Prior to the creation of the Lieutenant Governor's office, the succession to the Governorship of Utah was held by the Utah Secretary of State...
, making them the first major bipartisan
Bipartisanship
Bipartisanship is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system such as the United States, in which opposing political parties find common ground through compromise. The adjective bipartisan can refer to any bill, act, resolution, or other political act in which both of the...
ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
state history. However, they were defeated by the all-Republican ticket of Gary Herbert and Greg Bell
Greg Bell (politician)
Gregory S Bell is an American politician, land-use attorney, and the seventh and current Lieutenant Governor of the US state of Utah. A Republican, he was a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state's 22nd senate district in Davis County...
in the 2010 gubernatorial election
Utah gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Utah gubernatorial election took place November 2, 2010. It was a special election to fill the remainder of Jon Huntsman's term. Governor Huntsman resigned on 11 August 2009, to become United States Ambassador to China...
.
Background
Sheryl Allen was born in 1943 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Allen attended the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, where she received a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1965. She is married to John Allen, the chief statistician of the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. The Allens have four children and seven grandchildren.
Educational career
In 1976, Allen, Lucile Cardon Reading, and Theo Italisano were the first three women to be elected to the previously male-dominated Davis County Board of EducationDavis School District
Davis School District is a school district serving Davis County, Utah. Headquartered in the county seat of Farmington, it is the 61st largest school district in the United States and the 3rd largest school district in Utah with 66,579 students attending Davis schools as of 2011 . It is located...
and took office on January 1, 1977. Reading, who became board president, and Allen worked to stop alleged mismanagement and ended the practice of officials receiving kickbacks from building contractors. Allen became board president with the death of Reading in March 1982. In 1988, Allen stated that she was stepping down from the board the following year to pursue graduate studies. In 1990, she received a Master's degree in Education Administration from the University of Utah.
Allen was also the public relations director of the Davis Applied Technology Center
Davis Applied Technology College
Davis Applied Technology College is a public technical training institution located in Kaysville, Utah. It provides competency-based education in an open-entry, open-exit environment which prepares over 7,400 high school and adult students with career and technical skills...
from 1985 to 1995. She became the foundation director of the Davis School District
Davis School District
Davis School District is a school district serving Davis County, Utah. Headquartered in the county seat of Farmington, it is the 61st largest school district in the United States and the 3rd largest school district in Utah with 66,579 students attending Davis schools as of 2011 . It is located...
in 1995.
Political career
Allen ran against Quinn Gardner in June 1994 to succeed Utah state representativeUtah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district contains an average population of 35,000 people...
Kim Burningham, who was stepping down after 15 years of service. Allen won with 54% of the vote and took office on July 20, 1994.
On January 26, 1996, eight hours after the execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
of John Albert Taylor
John Albert Taylor
John Albert Taylor was an American who was convicted of burglary and carrying a concealed weapon in the state of Florida, and sexual assault and murder in the state of Utah. Taylor's own sister tipped off police in June 1989 after 11-year-old Charla King was found raped and strangled to death in...
, Allen introduced a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
to eliminate the firing squad, which did not pass. She later succeeded in passing HB180, which removed the right of the condemned to choose their method of execution after February 2004.
In 2005, Allen was awarded Legislator of the Year by the Utah School Board Association. She was re-elected to her eighth term in the state legislature in 2008 with over 80% of the vote. Allen is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Revenue and Taxation Committee. She is also the co-chairperson of the Economic Development and Revenue Appropriations Subcommittee.
In 2008, Allen was involved in bringing forth an investigation by the Utah House Ethics Committee that led to the reprimand
Reprimand
A reprimand is a severe, formal or official reproof. Reprimanding takes in different forms in different legal systems, such as in UK law.- UK :...
of fellow Republican house member Greg Hughes. Facing political ostracization from within her own party, Allen announced that she would not seek another term as a state representative in 2010.
2010 campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Utah
On May 1, 2010, Salt Lake CountySalt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
mayor Peter Corroon
Peter Corroon
Peter Maitland Corroon is the current mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah, and a member of the Democratic Party. He was the Democratic candidate for governor in the Utah gubernatorial election, 2010, losing to Gary Herbert by a 33 point margin...
asked Allen to be his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
as lieutenant governor in his gubernatorial bid against incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert. As Corroon ran as a Democrat and Allen as a Republican, this was the first bipartisan
Bipartisanship
Bipartisanship is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system such as the United States, in which opposing political parties find common ground through compromise. The adjective bipartisan can refer to any bill, act, resolution, or other political act in which both of the...
team on a single ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
between major political parties in a Utah state election. In 1976, governor Scott M. Matheson
Scott M. Matheson
-External links:* from...
and lieutenant governor David Smith Monson
David Smith Monson
David Smith Monson is a former U.S. Representative and the second Lieutenant Governor from Utah.Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Monson attended public schools.B.S., University of Utah, 1970....
were elected from different parties, but on separate tickets. Political clashes between Matheson and Monson led to changes in state election law, requiring joint tickets in subsequent elections.
Corroon and Allen ran on a moderate ticket to appeal to independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
voters. A major platform
Party platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
of their campaign was the improvement of education in the state of Utah. Corroon's campaign accused Herbert's governorship of being "corrupt." After the second most expensive gubernatorial campaign in Utah history, Herbert won the election on November 2, 2010.
Awards and honors
- Susa Young GatesSusa Young Gates300px|thumb|Susa Young Gates, portrait bustSusa Young Gates was a writer, periodical editor, and women's rights advocate in Utah....
Award, 1998 - Utah School Board Association Legislator of the Year, 2004
- Utah Hotel and Lodging Association Legislator of the Year, 2005
- Utah Medical Association Legislator of the Year, 2006
Affiliations
- 100 Women for 100 Years (1996 co-chair)
- Colorado Plateau Archeological Project (board member)
- Forum on Democracy and Trade (board member)
- George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityThe George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Elliott School of International BusinessElliott School of International AffairsThe Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University is a professional school in international relations. It is located in the heart of Washington, D.C...
(trade advisory committee) - Hogle ZooHogle ZooUtah's Hogle Zoo is a zoo located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the state's largest zoo, housing animals from diverse ecosystems. It is located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon....
(former board member) - KUEDKUEDKUED is full-service Public Broadcasting Service public television located in Salt Lake City, Utah, broadcasting locally in digital-only on UHF channel 42. It is one of two PBS member stations serving the Salt Lake City, Utah metropolitan area...
(PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) (board member) - NCSLNational Conference of State LegislaturesThe National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...
Economic Development Committee (2004–06 chair) - NCSLNational Conference of State LegislaturesThe National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...
Standing Committee (2007 vice chair) - Utah Humanities Council (former board member)
External links
- Sheryl Allen at BallotpediaBallotpediaBallotpedia is a wiki-style website billed as "an interactive almanac of state politics". InfoWorld has called it one of the "Top 20 Election Day Web sites and online tools".-Purpose:...
- Sheryl L. Allen at FreedomSpeaks.com
- Sheryl L. Allen at Vote-UT.org