The Stepford Legislators:

How Utah’s Most Extreme Bills Are Being Run by Freshman Women

The new dangerous face of authoritarianism in Utah is a well-dressed, PTA-going, Pinterest-perfect woman talking about “family values.”

They don’t rant about “groomers.” They say they’re just “concerned about what’s in school libraries.” They don’t call themselves anti-vaxxers. They say they’re “pro-health freedom.” They don’t say they want to dismantle public schools. They just want to “empower parents.”

And they are far more dangerous than the loud, chaotic extremists because they know exactly how to pass laws without triggering mass resistance.

Meet Kristen Chevrier, Nicholeen Peck, Lisa Shepherd, and Tiara Auxier—Utah’s newest batch of ultra-right lawmakers. They are pushing some of the most extreme legislation in the country, but you wouldn’t know it from their calm, maternal demeanor.

They are weaponizing the language of care to strip away rights, reshape the state, and remake Utah in the image of their authoritarian vision.

This is not just happening in Utah. Across the country, we are seeing a new political strategy emerge: far-right women using their gender and "mom" image to push the most radical aspects of the conservative agenda. But Utah—where traditional gender roles still dominate, and Mormon women hold immense cultural influence—has become a breeding ground for these Stepford Legislators.

And they’re winning.

The rise of “Mom Legislators” as the new face of the far right