Alex Cragun has had a couple of good weeks.

He was named Friday as the new executive director of the Utah Democratic Party — two weeks after Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski appointed the community activist as the city’s representative on the Utah Transit Authority board.

His newest job was announced Friday by Utah Democratic Party Chairwoman Daisy Thomas, who was elected in June.

“The Utah Democratic Party is focused on finding and empowering local leaders and building communities. Alex’s experience in issue-based organizing and his campaign experience in rural Utah makes him a great fit for the executive director position,” Thomas said.

Cragun said, “Utah stands at a moment of change and I hope we can turn that moment into a larger Democratic movement.”

He has been working in Democratic politics since 2008, starting as an intern for then-Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon’s re-election campaign. Corroon later served two terms as state chairman of the Democratic Party.



Cragun worked on the unsuccessful Jay Seegmiller for Congress campaign in 2012, and on the legislative campaign for Christine Passey in central Salt Lake County. He has served as southwest regional director and Utah vice chairman of the Young Democrats.

He was also a founding member of the Utah Transit Riders Union, a group that advocates for more and better transit service. Largely because of that, Biskupski appointed him to the UTA Board.

Cragun currently is the public affairs coordinator for the Association for Utah Community Health, where he monitors policy and legislation affecting health centers.