The race for the District 11 Utah House seat pits incumbent Kelly Miles, who cites the seniority he’s garnered in three terms, and challenger Katy Hall, who worries the “conservative voices” of the district aren’t adequately represented.

Both are Republicans and, with no Democrats in the contest, the June 28 GOP primary will put the winner on the road to victory. Both candidates secured enough signatures on petitions to secure a primary spot, but have also been reaching out to GOP delegates in a bid for a strong showing at the April 23 Utah Republican Party convention.

“I seem to become more and more effective each year. There’s quite a learning curve at the legislature,” said Miles, an attorney from the South Ogden area.

Hall, who lives in South Ogden, has kept up with politics, but had not gotten directly involved — until now. She’s a registered nurse at Ogden Regional Medical Center, and with her youngest child soon to graduate high school, she’ll have more time for pursuits outside the family.

“I’ve not aspired to run for office until the last little bit,” she said, citing, in part, dissatisfaction with Miles.

District 11, with newly redrawn boundaries per redistricting by Utah lawmakers last year, covers portions of South Ogden, Washington Terrace, Riverdale and Uintah in Weber County and part of South Weber and Hill Air Force Base in Davis County.

MORE ON MILES AND HALL

Miles pointed to his time in the legislature and roles on various committees in the Utah House — as chair of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee and member of the House Health and Human Services and House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice committees. Time in the legislature creates seniority, augmenting a lawmaker’s influence.

More specifically, he pointed to his work pushing for higher pay and benefits — including augmented mental health coverage — for law enforcement and first responders.

An ongoing area of importance for him is doing more to address mental health and substance abuse issues. The earlier you can start addressing mental health issues, beginning with kids, the better, he maintains, because that can help problems from getting out of control. “I think it’s becoming more and more a priority in society,” he said.

Miles would also push for better benefits for teachers and says water conservation is another area of focus, pointing to legislation passed in the 2022 session to address declining levels in the Great Salt Lake.

Hall says her background in health care and science would give the legislature what she says is an underrepresented voice.

More significantly, perhaps, she touted her conservative outlook — fiscally, socially and otherwise —  saying the viewpoint as it pertains to District 11 isn’t adequately represented in the legislature. She would aim to give better voice to the population.

Hall lamented some of Miles’ votes, including his 2019 vote — along with the majority of Utah lawmakers — in favor of sweeping tax reform, change later repealed by the legislature amid a popular outcry.

Miles defended his initial vote on the measure, Senate Bill 2001, noting that the overall effect was a reduction in taxes, though it also included an increase in the sales tax on food, the provision that generated the most public backlash. “It was the fiscally conservative thing to do,” Miles said.

The repeal vote in the House was 70-1 with four not voting, including Miles. He said he favored the repeal vote, but must have had a conflict that kept him from casting a ballot.

Hall also noted, with chagrin, Miles’ role as sponsor of the 2021 measure to change the name of Dixie State University in St. George, far outside District 11, to Utah Tech University. Locals here, Hall said, wouldn’t like it if a lawmaker from outside the region sponsored legislation to rename Weber State University.

Miles, in response, said he was asked by House leaders to sponsor the measure as head of the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, though he also backed the name change. The old name was a potential hindrance for students graduating the university and in recruiting new students, he said, also noting the broad support from students, university leaders and many others for the name change.

Hall said she backs House Bill 11, the measure that bans participation by transgender athletes in girls high school sports. While giving Miles credit for voting for the bill, she noted his opposition to a similar 2021 measure that ultimately failed, House Bill 302.

Miles said he opposed HB 302 last year because the issue — participation by transgender athletes on scholastic teams — hadn’t yet been fully fleshed out and he didn’t sense constituent support for change at that time. His support for HB 11 and the override of Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of the measure stemmed from, “the outcry and the overwhelming support for doing more” on the issue.

With regard to education, Hall emphasizes the importance of including the voices of parents and educators in crafting policy, getting away from the animosity she senses in debate on the topic. She’s a proponent of all education choices — public schools, charter schools, homeschooling and online learning.

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