Submitted by Rep. Brad Last
Dear Washington County Friend,
Over the past several weeks I have been very clear about my support for Brock Belnap’s reelection as Washington County Attorney. I have deep respect for anyone willing to throw a hat in the ring and run for public office, but I believe Brock is uniquely qualified to serve as County Attorney and that his service should continue.
First let’s talk about the similarities in the candidates. They are both good and honorable men. They both have long family histories in Washington County and I believe they both have the best interest of the citizens at heart. Both men are intelligent and have strong academic legal training and both are committed to the U.S. and the Utah Constitutions.
The real difference between the candidates in this race is experience! Brock has a record and anyone who is interested can delve in to his history as county attorney and make a judgment about how he has done. From my perspective Brock has been fantastic. In fact, I have never heard anything negative about Brock’s work except from criminals he has prosecuted.
To be clearer, Brock has served for 17 years in the county attorney’s office and has been county attorney for the past 11 years. He has presided over thousands of criminal cases ranging from minor infractions to first-degree felonies. Brock has prosecuted fairly, aggressively and constitutionally—this is why Sheriff Pulsipher, city police chiefs, and the felony prosecutors in Washington County unanimously support him.
By comparison, Nate Caplin has never prosecuted a felony criminal case. He has been employed as a judicial law clerk and is currently contracted to prosecute misdemeanor cases for Hildale. He is an associate at a local law firm, where he focuses primarily on civil litigation. I have little doubt that Nate will have a successful legal career, but at this point I don’t believe he has ever tried a criminal case before a jury.
During this campaign a comparison has been made between the age and experience of Mr. Caplin and at least one other recent county attorney, Eric Ludlow. While Mr. Caplin is of similar age as was Mr. Ludlow at the time of his appointment, this comparison is largely unfair. Mr. Ludlow had served four years as deputy county attorney, where he prosecuted over 40 jury trials and hundreds of felonies.
With respect to civil experience, Brock has a record of standing toe-to-toe with the federal government. He sued to secure access to thousands of miles of roads in Washington County so residents and visitors can continue to enjoy access to our public lands. Brock has been instrumental in protecting private property from overreaching federal Endangered Species Act classifications. He filed an amicus brief with the 10th Circuit Court defending Utah’s historic right to define marriage. He also filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to help protect our second amendment rights. There should be no doubt about Brock’s willingness to take on tough issues and fight aggressively to protect the rights and property of citizens in this county.
Brock has earned my respect during his years of service as Washington County Attorney. He is a proven, committed, effective and conservative leader and attorney. He is a man of integrity who has gained valuable experience by slugging it out in the trenches. He is universally respected and supported by those who work with him on a daily basis.
The voters in Washington County have the opportunity to “hire” their attorney. Brock Belnap’s record stands for itself. He is the most qualified, most prepared candidate and he has demonstrated integrity and personal character consistently over a long history of public service. In a county of 150,000 people we need and deserve Brock Belnap as county attorney.
Please join me and vote for Brock. He is the right man for the job!
Respectfully,
Representative Brad Last
P.S. Brock did not ask me to prepare and send this letter—this is my own doing. Any errors or inaccuracies are my responsibility.
