Allen said his status as a political newcomer would make him a good leader if elected to represent Wasatch County and Park City in the Utah Legislature.
The 64-year-old said he entered the race for House District 59 because he wants to build on the legacy of incumbent Rep. Mike Kohler.
Kohler said he will not seek another term.
“I wanted to be version 2.0 of Mike Kohler,” Allen said. “There are housing problems, there’s affordability problems, and I’d like to at least have a voice in the conversation going forward.”
Allen works as a snowcat groomer at Deer Valley Resort. He has never held elected office but said he’s familiar with lawmakers’ work.
He said he regularly listens in during the legislative session, has helped run campaigns for Utah County officials and serves as a “citizen advocate” on issues he cares about.
He said he has been involved in efforts to conserve American Fork Canyon and Bridal Veil Falls.
Allen said he would want to be in office for two years only. He believes fresh eyes serve citizens better than career politicians.
He said he wants to get involved in the state Legislature because of the way decisions at the Capitol affect local government. He’s also concerned about issues like affordability, traffic and taxes.
“I think the ship’s not heading the right direction right now, and I think there’s a lot of good people in the valley that feel the same way,” he said. “They’re concerned about the growth, they’re concerned about the lack of community, concerned that they’re becoming a suburb of a resort.”
Allen said he also wants to see better compliance across the state with Utah’s open meetings laws, and he wants to “contain” the judicial branch.
“I have grown my hair long, and the reason behind that is I’ll cut it when I find an honest judge,” he said.
Allen is one of four candidates in the race for House District 59, including fellow Republican Luke Searle and Democrats Micah Kagan and Celeste Johnson.
