The Utah House of Representatives has 75 districts. House District 10 includes portions of Ogden, South Ogden, Washington Terrace, Riverdale, and Uintah. Decisions made at the Capitol affect nearly every aspect of daily life, from public schools and housing affordability to air quality and taxes.

The people of District 10 deserve a representative who listens carefully, understands their concerns, and works tirelessly to turn those concerns into meaningful action.

2. What unique qualities, attributes, skills, and experiences do you possess that make you the best candidate in this race?

Public service defines my life. I served 15 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, over 30 years as an OB/GYN caring for women and families in northern Utah, and represented House District 10 from 2021 through 2024.

Medicine taught me to listen carefully, examine evidence, weigh alternatives, and focus on practical impacts. My legislative service taught me that lasting progress requires strong relationships, persistence, and bipartisan collaboration.

I bring military service, medical experience, and a proven legislative record to solve problems and deliver results.

3. Please explain your priorities if elected, as well as why you believe you are uniquely capable of achieving those priorities.

My priorities center on one principle: healthy families require healthy communities, a healthy environment, and accountable government.

Affordability comes first. Families cannot thrive when basic costs stretch budgets too thin. I support eliminating the state sales tax on groceries and pursuing practical housing solutions, including low-interest loans for home preservation, community land trusts, and workforce housing support like the Rocky Mountain Homes Fund for teachers, nurses, and firefighters.

Protecting our environment is essential to public health. That means protecting the Great Salt Lake to prevent toxic dust, improving public transit, and enforcing vehicle emission standards.

Strong public schools, access to healthcare, and transparent government complete these priorities. Having previously expanded postpartum healthcare access, I know how to build bipartisan support and stay focused on results.

4. Please describe how you view the importance of compromise in politics and provide an example from your own experiences that highlights your perspective.

Compromise is essential to effective governing, but it should never mean abandoning core principles. Sometimes compromise means adjusting details; other times, it means prioritizing outcomes over credit.

When I sponsored legislation to extend Medicaid coverage for mothers after childbirth, a colleague later introduced a similar measure. Rather than insisting on passing my own bill, I backed the effort so the policy would succeed. As a result, Utah mothers gained a full year of postpartum Medicaid coverage instead of 60 days.

Good legislation is measured by whose lives it improves, not by whose name is on the bill.

5. How will you balance the views of the vocal public, your political party, and your own understanding and knowledge as an elected representative?

An engaged public is vital to representative democracy. People deserve to be heard whenever decisions impact their livelihoods, health, and neighborhoods.

Party lines do not dictate my votes. I evaluate issues as I did medical decisions: gather reliable data, listen to experts, weigh consequences, and prioritize constituents’ needs.

Major issues like water policy, environmental health, and taxation demand open discussion, not closed-door decisions. Redistricting should serve communities, not political parties.

My primary responsibility is to the people of District 10. Listening to diverse perspectives strengthens sound judgment.

6. What is the best way for readers to contact you and/or get more information about your platform?

I welcome questions, suggestions, and conversations with residents of House District 10. Even when we don’t agree on every issue, I believe we can find common ground when we listen to one another.

Learn more about my experience, legislative record, and priorities at www.rosemarylesser.com, or contact me directly at RosemaryLesser.HD10@gmail.com.