Weber County Progressive Caucus – Kick Off Meeting Minutes
Date: July 12, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM ET
Attendees:
- Jarron Kennedy (Chair)
- Jacob Reanos (Vice Chair)
- Eric Holmes (Treasurer)
- Niki Whitaker (Historian/Secretary)
- Katie Reed (Perry City Council Candidate)
- Tony Tompkins (Congressional District Candidate)
- Ranger/Mirage (Audience Member/Veteran)
- Various community members
1. Welcome and Introductions
- Jarron Kennedy welcomed everyone, expressing excitement about the turnout two weeks after starting the caucus.
- He introduced himself as a “big old nerd” and emphasized his commitment to listening to all members, promoting their beliefs, and building community, especially given the challenges in a “very red state”. He highlighted the importance of progressives working together, similar to how Republicans achieve success.
- Jacob Reanos, Vice Chair, was introduced and also identified as a “nerd”. He stated his long-standing involvement in politics and current active participation due to dissatisfaction with the current political state. He believes that beating Republicans requires working together, adopting their strategies for marketing, and uniting after primaries, even without 100% agreement on candidates.
- Eric Holmes, Treasurer for the Weber County Progressive Caucus, introduced himself. He grew up in Weber County and wants to live in a world with new ideas, not one of “modern culture.” He emphasized transparency in spending and encouraged feedback on how to best use funds to achieve the caucus’s vision.
- Niki Whitaker, Historian (formerly Secretary), introduced herself. She stated her role is to keep records of all meetings. The executive committee is committed to working together and with the community members. She became involved due to concerns about Project 2025 under Trump and sought a positive outlet for her “angst”.
2. Goals and Initiatives of the Weber County Progressive Caucus
- The caucus is determined to make “real positive change in Weber County”.
- This will be achieved by “getting our hands dirty” and partnering with local nonprofits working in areas the caucus believes in.
- Community members are encouraged to suggest nonprofits that could use their help.
- The caucus aims to demonstrate that progressives are actively making change, not just “yelling and screaming” on social media.
- A key goal is to “find and support progressive candidate for every single level of government,” from school boards to county positions.
- The caucus wants to ensure “no Republican goes unchallenged for any seat in Weber County”. They encourage anyone interested in running or knowing a good candidate to come forward.
- Jarron reiterated the need to challenge unchallenged Republicans and build coalitions even if there are disagreements.
3. Candidate Introduction
- Katie Reed, introduced herself and is running for city council in Perry, which is in Box Elder County
- She stated that progress looks different in a small town than in a big city
- Tony Tompkins, running for a Congressional District position, introduced himself. He stated his pronouns are they/them and his government name is Anthony Tompkins.
- He became involved in politics again due to a lack of vocal LGBTQ+ rights support from candidates in his area and Idaho’s law criminalizing same-sex marriage.
- His primary goal is to “raise up candidates at the local level” to help them succeed, which he believes will also lead to his own success. He plans to spend time in Weber, Cash, and Davis Counties to help flip Utah State House seats. He offered to assist anyone in Weber County or other counties.
4. Community Engagement and Resources
- Jarron Kennedy encouraged people to send anyone progressive, tired of Democrats, or independent but aligned with progressive policies to the caucus.
- The caucus aims to help Weber County and the northern parts of Utah, noting a lack of Progressive Caucuses outside of Salt Lake and Utah Counties. The goal is to make Utah “not just blue, but progressive”.
- Social Media: The Weber County Progressive Caucus has pages on Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Threads37. They also have a YouTube channel where they will post recordings of meetings, including executive committee meetings38. The email for the caucus is weber@utahprogressive.org.
5. Open Forum
- Jarron Kennedy opened the floor for general questions, ideas, and ways to help the caucus.
- Ranger (L), a homeless veteran from California, emphasized the need for connecting “blue dots” in Utah due to the “quiet” nature of activism outside of Salt Lake City.
- Ranger suggested connecting people to various community resources like food banks and clinics, anticipating a potential food shortage. He mentioned the Weber Food Bank, Catholic Community Services, and Bountiful Food Pantry as good resources.
- Ranger also plans to compile a list of food banks and other resources he used in Salt Lake City.
- He is involved in mutual aid, specifically mentioning an “ICE watch program” in Salt Lake City that found an ICE safe house.
- Jarron Kennedy agreed that building up resources is an initiative and encouraged sharing information to be posted on their website.
- The caucus plans to look into dominant languages in Utah (English, Spanish, Chinese, Polynesian) to better reach different communities and ensure they know their rights when it comes to ICE.
- There was a suggestion to print resource cards at libraries (which is cheap) and hand them out at farmers’ markets and other events.
- They will also compile a list of reliable ICE monitoring apps and distribute this information via their newsletter.
- The caucus will explore building “ICE watch” initiatives in Weber County or Northern Utah.
- An audience member mentioned a “Waste Less” mutual aid group that collects unwanted produce and distributes it, with an option to donate a third to charities. They are looking for volunteers. Jarron Kennedy expressed interest in contacting their leaders.
6. Conclusion
- The meeting concluded with Jarron Kennedy calling for an end to his speaking.