Bill Dew

Bill Dew was a home construction contractor and the Republican challenger in Utah's 2nd congressional district in 2008. Dew received the Republican nomination, but lost in the general election to Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson. Dew got 35% of the vote.[1][2]

Education and military service

After graduating from high school in 1970, Dew was an LDS missionary in Arizona for two years. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1978 with a degree in Finance.

After completing college and ROTC, Dew was commissioned a second lieutenant and served in the United States Army Reserve for the next eight years. In 1986, he received an honorable discharge and left the army with the rank of first lieutenant.

Business

Dew's father was a school teacher who worked construction on the weekends. Growing up, Dew often worked alongside him. Years later, while serving in the Army Reserve, Dew started building homes in the Salt Lake Valley, and his homebuilding enterprise quickly became a successful development company called Dewbury Homes. In 2006, after 30 years in the construction industry Dew left his business and, with his wife Jolene, devoted two years to humanitarian work in Jordan.

2008 Election

Dew announced his candidacy for Congress on March 10, 2008.[3] His campaign advocated balanced federal budget, giving states and local communities control over public education, securing the borders and ending illegal immigration, making America energy independent, and winning the war in Iraq.[4]

Dew secured the Republican nomination by winning 69% of the vote at the party's state convention on May 10, 2008. He defeated five other Republican contenders, including the early favorite, Merrill Cook.[5]

Dew pledged to spend $500,000 of his own money on his campaign.[6][7] Because Dew's campaign raised less than $100,000 from other sources, he still was outspent heavily by Matheson.[8]

In the general election on November 4, 2008, Dew received 113,432 votes, or 34.7%. Matheson won with 206,007 votes, or 63.1%.[9] Dew, a political newcomer, received only 2% fewer votes than the previous 2006 Republican challenger LaVar Christensen (a popular former state representative). This came despite polling in September at 27%; some attribute this jump to Dew's hard fought and comprehensive campaign even in the face of a strong showing by Democrats in the Obama presidential race.[10][11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Bernick Bob, Jr. (6 November 2008). "Salt Lake County sort of blue; all else is red, red, red". Deseret News. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
  2. ↑ "Utah Election Results". Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  3. ↑ "Dew will challenge Matheson". Deseret News. 11 March 2008. p. B2.
  4. ↑ Bill Dew on the Issues Archived May 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Dan Jones Poll Indicates Utah's Incumbents Are All Leading
  6. ↑ Dew Bests Cook For Nomination Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Pyrah, Joe (26 April 2008). "Grand Old Party: Tilton Loses House Seat At Republican County Convention". Daily Herald. Provo.
  8. ↑ "OpenSecrets.org Congressional Elections: Utah District 02 Race: 2008 Cycle". Archived from the original on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  9. ↑ "Utah Election Results". Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  10. ↑ Poll: Utahns excited about political races
  11. ↑ Utah conservatives blush: They're the reddest no more
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