Kris Campbell first ran for Utah House District 4 in 2022 and again in 2024, both times as a Democrat and losing both times to former GOP Rep. Kera Birkeland.
When Birkeland resigned shortly after her 2024 win, Campbell re-registered as a Republican and applied to replace her.
He’s running again this year as a Republican against incumbent Tiara Auxier, the Morgan County resident who won the GOP caucus to replace Birkeland.
Campbell’s top priority, he says, is “fair and proportional representation.”
“We haven't had a representative from Summit County in office for several years. Now we've been split across — used to be three different House districts — now we're split across four different house districts, which gives us no representation in the state legislature,” he said.
Campbell also wants to call attention to representation in the party caucus system. He told KPCW the precincts that elect party delegates vary widely in size, resulting in disproportional representation.
He says an effort to reform that system at last year’s state GOP organizing convention failed.
“I'm about fair representation first, then fair processes and fair taxes. I think those are the fundamental underlying aspects to help ensure that everybody is treated equally by our government,” Campbell said. “I continue that with a people-first focus, meaning that it's important to protect individual freedoms, protect rights and respect personal privacy.”
For Campbell, that includes honoring Proposition 4, the 2018 ballot item where Utahns voted to ban gerrymandering and establish an independent commission to draw federal Congressional districts.
Campbell is a Silver Creek resident and self-described “math nerd” who serves on the board of BootUp PD, a nonprofit promoting computer science education in elementary schools.
He’s also an openly transgender man known for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. He sits on the boards of Summit Pride and the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah.
Campbell isn’t the only Republican challenging incumbent Rep. Auxier. Snyderville Basin resident Brandi Connolly also filed for the Republican nomination Jan. 8.
Oakley residents Zane Woolstenhulme and Zeppelin Zeerip are vying for the Democratic nomination.
Utah House District 4 covers all of Morgan and Rich counties and most of Summit County, except for Summit Park and Park City proper.
The primary election is June 23, and the general election is Nov. 3.
