Four years into his first term, Winterton says he puts the people he represents first when drafting legislation and decisions.
“I try to be in meetings, or I tell him, you have something going on, invite me,” he says. “If I can make it, I want to be there. I want to hear firsthand. I like to be hearing both sides and the takeaways from that. As an elected official, it's my responsibility to hear from the people.”
Winterton, a Republican, represents Senate District 26, which includes much of Summit County and much of Wasatch County. Because of newly adopted district maps, he’s running to represent District 20, which is nearly identical but excludes portions of Pinebrook that he currently represents.
Before he became a state senator, Winterton served 10 years on the Duchesne County Commission. He’s also spent 35 years as a truck driver and now works for an engineering firm when he’s not carrying out senate duties.
In the 2022 legislative session, Winterton points to Senate Bill 49, which he sponsored, as one of the major accomplishments of his term. It’s a rural film incentive bill that he believes will bring film productions to places like Summit County. He also calls it a proactive way to prevent local businesses from missing out on the economic benefits of those productions.
He says he was motivated to bring that legislation after the television show Yellowstone moved its filming site out of Summit County to Montana.
He says his focuses for the future are a regional transit center and increasing affordable housing in growing communities like Heber City and Park City.
“I will fight for the locals,” he says. “There are some very few instances in which the state needs to step in, and those instances are when they're trying to make the locals make hard decisions that they want to punt to the state. And so the state has done some of those things which I have fought back on.”
Winterton voted against House Bill 462, the affordable housing bill that apparently requires Summit County to increase density in Kimball Junction, a move local officials see as forcing the Dakota Pacific project onto the county.
Winterton serves on six committees and subcommittees, including natural resources appropriations, education and economic development. He’s also chair of the Federalism Commission, which works to promote states’ rights.
He and his wife live outside of Roosevelt and have five children and 17 grandchildren.
He encourages those he represents to reach out to him with questions, concerns or advice.
For more on Winterton visit senatorwinterton.com.
