Candidate Forum for Summit and Wasatch Counties
About this Event
The Utah Legislature will play a critical role in shaping policies around air quality, water scarcity, the future of the Great Salt Lake, data center development, and Utah’s energy future.
Join Citizens’ Climate Lobby for a moderated panel discussion followed by Q&A. Hear directly from the candidates about their knowledge, priorities, and perspectives on these critical issues—and learn how they would approach the challenges facing Utah.
PRESS RELEASE
September 28, 2026
Utah Legislative Candidates to Discuss Air, Water, Energy, Data Centers and the Economy at Park City Forum
PARK CITY, Utah — Candidates for Utah House Districts 4 and 59 and Senate District 20 will meet with Summit and Wasatch County voters Oct. 6 in Park City for a nonpartisan public forum focused on issues affecting the future of Utah’s communities, economy and environment.
“A Livable Utah Is on the Ballot” will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Jim Santy Auditorium in Park City. The event is free and open to the public and is hosted by the Wasatch Back Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
The forum will feature candidates for Utah House Districts 4 and 59 as well as the Forward Party challenger for Sen. Ron Winterton’s District 20 seat. The discussion will focus on how state decisions about water use and conservation, the Great Salt Lake, air quality, energy, data centers, growth and economic development affect livability across the region.
“These seats are the Wasatch Back’s voice in the Utah Legislature, and the decisions made by our representatives affect our communities and our daily lives,” said Joan Entwistle, co-chair of the Wasatch Back Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. “Voters need to know who represents them and communicate with them about the issues that matter most. This forum gives residents an opportunity to understand where each candidate stands, ask questions and make an informed choice before voting.”
The four House candidates are Republican incumbent Tiara Auxier and Democrat Zane Woolstenhulme in House District 4, and Republican Luke Searle and Democrat Celeste Johnson in House District 59.
Auxier, who was appointed to the House in January 2025 to fill a vacancy, is seeking election to a full term in District 4. Woolstenhulme, a former Oakley mayor, is challenging her.
District 59 is an open-seat race. Current Rep. Mike Kohler is not seeking reelection, leaving Searle and Johnson competing for the seat.
House Districts 4 and 59 connect communities across county lines. District 4 encompasses much of Summit County as well as portions of neighboring counties, while District 59 includes Park City municipal boundaries and portions of Silver Springs in Summit County as well as communities throughout Wasatch County.
In addition to the House races, Senate District 20 will be on the ballot. The district covers Daggett, Duchesne, Uintah and Wasatch counties and part of Summit County. Sen. Ron Winterton, a Roosevelt resident who has served in the Senate since 2019, is seeking a third four-year term. He is being challenged by Forward Party candidate Annette McRae, a Duchesne City resident who grew up in Moab and Heber City.
The forum comes as climate and environmental pressures increasingly affect livability across the region. Candidates are expected to discuss water use and conservation, the future of the Great Salt Lake, dust and air-quality impacts associated with the shrinking lake, and energy policy, as well as how data centers and regional growth may affect natural resources and the local economy.
Auxier, the House District 4 representative since her 2025 appointment, is a University of Utah accounting graduate and tax accountant who has served on school and district community councils. During her first legislative session, she was the chief sponsor of an enacted bill that changed Utah’s property-tax formula for public education while preserving ongoing appropriations to the Teacher and Student Success Program.
Woolstenhulme, a former Oakley mayor and longtime Oakley Planning Commission member, has nearly four decades of public administration experience, including more than 10 years as business administrator for the Ogden School District. He has also worked on housing, water, open-space and trail issues through Mountainlands Community Housing Trust and other local efforts.
Searle, a Wasatch County Council member, teaches business, marketing and entrepreneurship at Wasatch High School and Wasatch CAPS. A Heber Valley native and graduate of Wasatch High School and Utah Valley University, he is pursuing a master’s degree in education at Southern Utah University.
Johnson served as Midway mayor from 2018 through 2025, making open-space preservation a central focus. Her efforts included voter-approved $5 million open-space bonds in 2018 and 2024 and helping establish an organization dedicated to preserving Midway’s open space and agricultural land.
The event will give voters an opportunity to compare how the candidates would address issues that cross municipal and county boundaries and to ask questions directly before casting their ballots. To find your Utah legislative districts, enter your street address at https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national grassroots organization focused on empowering citizens to take action on climate change. The Wasatch Back chapter works with state and national leaders to build political will for climate solutions. Learn more at citizensclimatelobby.org.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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