Three candidates are running to become House District 42′s Republican nominee in the June 25 primary.
District 42 covers a swath of the eastern side of Sandy. The district’s incumbent, Robert Spendlove, is not running for reelection after a 10-year tenure in the Legislature.
Chad Westover, Michael Marker and Clint Okerlund are the three candidates vying the Republican nomination in the district.
The Salt Lake Tribune sent six questions to 50 candidates across 23 races scheduled for June 25. The Tribune gave these candidates a deadline and word limit, and informed the candidates that their answers may be edited for clarity and length. Here’s how Westover, Marker and Okerlund responded to the questionnaire:
1) Utah’s largest electricity provider has canceled plans to replace its coal-fired power plants with nuclear power and has walked back comments about investing in clean energy.
Should Utah, while it actively supports housing and business development, also be looking for more sustainable and less fossil fuel and carbon-dependent energy?
Westover: Did not answer.
Marker: Did not answer.
Okerlund: Utah should actively be pursuing clean, efficient and abundant nuclear power. Technological advances in this field hold the promise to create smaller, localized power generation plants that produce massive amounts of electricity. They can create this power cleanly, with the additional benefits of being able to scale up and down rapidly and while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. In the meantime, we will need to continue to rely on existing fossil fuels and non-fossil fuels to keep our houses and businesses buzzing.
2) Yes or no: Is climate change negatively impacting Utah?
Westover: Did not answer.
Marker: Did not answer.
Okerlund: Yes.
3) Water scarcity continues to be a challenge for the state. Recent legislation has attempted to conserve water and get more to the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River. Should Utah do more to subsidize homeowners to conserve water?
Should laws require large users to pay more for water? What other steps should state government take to deal with water scarcity?
Westover: Did not answer.
Marker: Did not answer.
Okerlund: Luckily we have had consecutive wet winters to help fill the Great Salt Lake and our reservoirs. However, it will be important to recognize that not every year will be above average. Our policies should reflect that mathematical reality. I support the work our Legislature has done recently to help preserve water levels in the Great Salt Lake. More work needs to be done. The lake’s importance cannot be overstated when it comes to keeping our air clean and safe, and preserving the “lake effect” that our Wasatch Mountains rely upon. We cannot ignore that over 80% of our state’s water is used for agriculture. The incentives created to conserve our water will be meaningless unless they are directed at agriculture first and residential second. To be clear, I fully support agriculture, but water-efficient farming is where we need to turn our attention.
4) Yes or no: Do you support building the Lake Powell Pipeline?
Westover: Did not answer.
Marker: Did not answer.
Okerlund: Undecided.
5) Triggered after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Utah’s current law bans nearly all abortions — except in instances of sexual crimes, when there is a fatal fetal abnormality or when the mother’s life is at risk. For now, that law is currently on hold in the courts and an 18-week ban is active in Utah.
More or fewer: Should Utah’s trigger law have more or fewer restrictions?
Westover: Did not answer.
Marker: Did not answer.
Okerlund: The law is well-crafted as it stands.
6) For or against: Are you voting for or against the constitutional amendment that removes the requirement that income taxes be used for education and social services?
Westover: Did not answer.
Marker: Did not answer.
Okerlund: Against.
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