Republican Mike Kohler is looking for another term representing Utah’s House District 59. For the incumbent to win, he’ll have to stave off a challenge from Democrat Julie A. Monahan.
Kohler, a business manager, was first elected to the House in 2020 and serves on the House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee and the House Political Subdivisions Committee. This is Monahan’s first election. Currently a real estate agent, Monahan spent 30 years consulting with the government for at IBM.
The Salt Lake Tribune submitted the same set of questions, based on top issues readers said they were watching in this election, to each candidate. The questions and their answers that appear below — with the candidates listed in alphabetical order — may have been edited slightly for length, style or grammar. The questions were sent to candidates before a Utah judge voided multiple amendments from ballots.
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 be looking for more sustainable and less fossil fuel and carbon-dependent energy sources? If so, how?
Mike Kohler: Did not answer.
Julie A. Monahan: Yes, Utah must invest in renewable energy, expand clean energy jobs and modernize the grid to improve air quality and build a sustainable economy.
Water scarcity continues to be a challenge for the state. Recent legislation has attempted to conserve water and to get more water to the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River. Should Utah do more to subsidize homeowners’ efforts to conserve water? What other steps should be taken to deal with water scarcity?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: Ninety-five percent of Utah’s water comes from snowpack, already threatened by climate change. We must conserve, optimize agriculture and protect Bear River flows to the Great Salt Lake, aiming for a healthy lake level to protect our economy and community health.
What policy changes would you support to address Utah’s affordable housing crisis?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: Our housing crisis policies need to address supply, demand and sustainability by investing in workforce housing for middle-income workers, aiding first-time homebuyers and limiting corporate ownership and speculation by adjusting tax policies.
Following the Utah Supreme Court’s recent decision to keep a near-total abortion ban blocked, anti-abortion lawmakers and advocates called for additional legislative action to circumvent the court-ordered injunction. Would you support banning abortion after six weeks?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: No.
Would you support a state constitutional amendment to ban abortion?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: No.
Should there be other restrictions on reproductive health care — especially fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: I support expanding access to affordable women’s reproductive health care including contraception, IVF and prenatal care for low-income women.
Are you voting for or against the constitutional amendment that removes the requirement that income taxes be used for education and social services? Why?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: Utah ranks low in per-pupil spending, and large class sizes will worsen if taxpayer dollars are diverted from public schools to vouchers. I will vote “NO” on Amendment A, which allows education funds to be redirected, undermining public education.
A Utah judge has voided Amendment D and said votes for or against it cannot be counted, but the state is appealing. Do you support changing the Utah Constitution to guarantee that the Legislature can repeal or amend ballot initiatives?
Kohler: Did not answer.
Monahan: No.
