I have spent my career behind the scenes. But as 2025 came to a close, I had been hearing the shared concerns of many neighbors about how things are functioning in our government and realized I wanted to help get us on a better path. That is when I began to consider stepping into the spotlight and running for my Senate District. The only problem? I’d have to challenge one of the most powerful figures in Utah politics: Senate President Stuart Adams.
Others immediately shared with me how crazy that endeavor would be. And, I even found myself questioning whether I was up for such a battle.
But I looked around at what Utah politics was becoming and decided I had to do it.
Why Utah politics needs a change
Here’s what I saw — a huge disconnect between people and their government:
Legislative leadership choosing which bills would and wouldn’t see the light of day — based on party, personality or other interests — not good policy or data.
A growing focus on divisive national rhetoric, rather than what we’ve prided as “the Utah way” of solving the day-to-day challenges we face.
Backroom deals, lack of accountability and residents feeling completely unheard and unrepresented.
This campaign was not just about Adams. It was about a direction that we are heading that creates distrust in government, evades transparency and doesn’t focus on real problems.
What Utahns want
As my team and I connected with tens of thousands in our community, we continued to hear a familiar retort: Utah has many good things going, but too often everyday people are left in the dust.
In attending an event, I’d find myself talking to a self-described “Trump Republican” and a “Never Trump” Republican. On the surface, their national and policy perspectives differed vastly. But, as I spoke with them, I discovered a familiar theme emerge: both felt unheard by our legislature and the heavy-handed tactics that have become far too common. This same dynamic repeated at multiple gatherings.
Voters did not reject one individual. They rejected a process that too often shuts them out of the conversation.
I would frequently remark to family members and friends how little the issues I thought would come up did. Yes, it is critical we invest in infrastructure, support local schools and protect access to the ballot. However, what I heard again and again was that how we get there matters.
It matters because good policy only happens with good process. Constitutional amendments referred to the ballot with mere minutes for public input, the largest data center in the world pushed forward with no discernible public process and bills pulled from committee for a late-night vote — after most Utahns had gone to bed — example after example of failures of process.
I’ve also heard a great deal about the lack of real leadership pushing for civility and trust in our institutions. Too many voters feel like too much has been done to exert concessions on votes, rather than create a culture of open collaboration and respect — between legislators, state agencies, other stakeholders and the public at large.
With my victory, I have been asked frequently: What does this mean? What are the people saying?
Here’s my answer: They’re saying that process matters more than personality, that transparency is nonnegotiable, and that we deserve a legislature laser focused on real issues for real people — not political theatrics. We’re tired of never-ending fights and want actual solutions based on our values.
Voters did not reject one individual. They rejected a process that too often shuts them out of the conversation.
My promise to each Senate District 7 resident and to all Utahns is that I will get to work to create truly open processes that allow for better transparency and input from people. I will work to help our legislature rebuild trust in our state government and refocus on the pragmatic work of solving the challenges we face. I’m willing to put in the long hours and look forward to collaborative relationships with anyone willing to join me.