Entering his fourth year on the Wasatch County Council, 30-year-old Heber City resident Luke Searle plans to run for state office.
Searle said Tuesday, Dec. 30, District 59 incumbent Mike Kohler encouraged him to enter the race. Kohler has held the seat since January 2021 and told KPCW he will not run again.
Searle, a father of three, said he’s running for the state House of Representatives because he understands the pressures facing Utah families.
“I feel as though Utah is becoming harder and harder to raise a family,” he said. “Working on that, making every decision focused on the family, is important.”
If elected, Searle told KPCW he will focus on property tax reform and school curricula that prepare students for careers. He said he also cares about Utah’s cost of living and keeping the size of the government in check.
Searle was elected to the Wasatch County Council in 2022 as one of two at-large members, his first foray into politics.
As a county councilmember, Searle said he has worked to give locals a voice. Now, he wants to do the same at the Utah Capitol.
“I think I’m the right candidate for the job because of what I’ve done in the county council,” he said. “I’ve listened first, I’ve done my best to limit the government and [tried] to stand up for families and for the future generations.”
Before stepping into politics, Searle was the assistant Heber City manager. He now works as a business teacher in the Wasatch County School District’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies, or CAPS.
In his years on the council, he’s taken a particular interest in the cost of living for elderly Wasatch County residents, backing a more robust tax abatement program for locals over 65.
Rep. Mike Kohler, a Republican and a lifelong Midway resident, is in his third term in Utah’s House of Representatives, where he serves on committees focused on natural resources, agriculture and education. Before that, he spent 16 years in county government.
He said he’s not seeking another term because he wants to spend more time with his family. He thinks Searle could do well in the state legislature.
“He’s had local government experience, which I believe is a necessity,” he said. “Of the ones that I’ve talked to so far, I think he’s the best one to kind of carry on what I was making an effort to do – and that’s to support local government and keep the state legislature, if we can, as small as possible and out of our way.”
Kohler said he’s grateful for the support of his constituents and has always tried to represent them well.
“It’s been a really fun ride, and it’s been enjoyable to get to know a lot of new people,” he said.
Searle commended Kohler’s example of public service.
“Mike Kohler has done a great job serving Wasatch County and on the state level,” he said. “I really appreciate his trust, and I’m excited to earn that trust and support from the community.”
District 59 covers all of Wasatch County and part of Summit County, including Park City.
Searle’s decision to run for the Utah House of Representatives will leave his seat on the county council open in November’s election.
