Vote Save Utah!

Elevate PAC and Vote Save America are teaming up to flip the Utah Legislature. One race, one district, one candidate at a time.

You know that moment in a movie when the underdog finally gets a montage moment showcasing their hard work (plus a bit of comedic relief)? Noses to the grindstone, hitting the books, running up the steps. That’s where we are at.

For too long, Utah’s been treated like the political equivalent of a flyover state, ignored by national Democrats, dismissed by the media, and managed by a Republican supermajority that thinks governing means banning rainbows, gutting public schools, and writing conspiracy bills about vaccines in salad.

But we’re not waiting for Utah’s demographics to change. We are not waiting for new maps. We aren’t waiting for the national narrative to finally realize, for example, that Provo swung 52 points left since 2004.

Starting today, Elevate PAC is partnering with Vote Save America, the political action arm of Pod Save America and the Crooked Media team, to launch a full-blown, no-excuses recruitment push for the Utah State Legislature.

If you don't read this whole piece, most importantly, please go to the “How you can help” section and if you want to run for office in one of these districts or know someone who would be a perfect candidate, check out our website’s live tracker here.

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The Case for Utah

Listen, we know. We’ve made this case a million times.

We did a whole three-part series on The Case for Utah—Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. We wrote about how Utah was the only exception on election night when the rest of the country swung right. We even built a whole tab on our website just for the stats, facts, and data that show exactly why we believe so damn hard in this state.

We realize we’re a bit of a broken record about it. But we probably won’t stop, and here’s why: People are finally listening. And believing. (And honestly, we love that for us.)

We love hope. We love optimism. And we really love data that backs up our delusion.

Because here’s what the numbers say:

• Utah is the youngest state, fastest growing state, most college educated red state, and only red state with universal vote by mail.

• Provo swung 52 points from George W. Bush in 2004 to Joe Biden in 2020.

• Bountiful has moved to D+50 since 2004.

• Utah voted 6.9 points to the left of the national average in 2024, Trump’s worst comparative showing anywhere.

• 81% of suburban cities along the Wasatch Front moved blue in 2024.

• We have the only major metro area in the country not to swing right last year.

• Utah was the only state where Kamala Harris outperformed Joe Biden’s vote share.

• 34% of Utah Republican voters self-identify as not MAGA, and 32% of those voted for Harris. These non-MAGA Republicans make up 22% of all Utah voters. In combination with the 29% of Utah voters who are Democrats or lean Democratic, we have 51%. (You hear that?? That's a MAJORITY baby!)

It’s happening. And the only thing left to do is get to work.

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The Plan: 10 Districts

This isn’t one of those “throw spaghetti at the wall and hope someone good files to run” strategies (ya know, that classic situation).

We’ve identified 10 districts where flipping a seat isn’t just possible, it’s likely based on data with the right candidate, message, and investment. Our plan is to build something real: long-term infrastructure, wraparound candidate support, and campaign plans that don’t start the week before the filing deadline.

Here’s what we are doing:

• We’re meeting one-on-one with potential candidates in each district.

• We’re building lists of community leaders, vetting names, and lining up a candidate and a backup in every seat.

• We’re running a training cohort that actually prepares people to win.

• And we’re locking it all in now, not next year. Because Utah’s filing deadline is January 8th. (Eeeeek so soon!)

This is the kind of work that usually happens after national groups show up. We’re doing it before they even learn how to pronounce “Tooele.”

Because it turns out that when you take Utah voters seriously, when you invest early, and when you actually run campaigns like you want to win, you start to win.

P.S. – To the Republican operatives, electeds, and staffers reading this (because we know you are). Yes, we’re telling you our strategy. And no, we’re not scared. You’ve had a rigged game for decades. Gerrymandered maps, uncontested seats, and a one-party echo chamber propping you up. But let’s see what happens when voters actually have a choice. When we recruit real candidates, raise real money, and run real campaigns in your backyard.

You’ve won by default for a long time. Let’s see if you can win on merit.

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Meet the Districts

Each of these districts is competitive, not in theory, but in reality. We’ve crunched the numbers. We’ve looked at past turnout. We’ve talked to voters. We’ve tracked which Republicans say one thing at home and vote another way at the Capitol.

Utah House Districts

HD10 — Jill Koford (R)

• Where: Southern Ogden, Ogden East Bench, South Ogden, Riverdale, Washington Terrace

• 2024 Margin: Won by just 309 votes, a red flip

• 2022 Margin: Democrat Rosemary Lesser won by 500 votes

• Why it matters: Rosemary outperformed Kamala Harris district-wide and is likely to run again. Jill Koford ran as a moderate, but voted with GOP leadership 94.7% of the time, including for:

  • HB267 (union-busting)

  • HB300 (anti-vote-by-mail)

  • HB77 (pride flag ban)

  • HB226 (automatic deportation trigger)

• ✅ Candidate secured

HD26 — Matt MacPherson (R)

• Where: West Valley City, Magna

• 2024 Margin: 991 votes

• 2022 Margin: GOP flip by 127 votes

• Why it matters: A heavily working-class district that has voted for countywide Democratic candidates. MacPherson was appointed in 2023 and votes 96.1% with GOP leadership, including on fluoride bans, anti-union, and deportation bills.

HD27 — Anthony Loubet (R)

• Where: Magna, Kearns, Copperton

• 2024 Margin: 1,679 votes

• 2022 Margin: Flipped red by 67 votes

• Why it matters: Loubet plays the moderate game but voted 95.3% with leadership, cosponsored the fluoride ban, and voted to phase out vote-by-mail.

HD36 — Jim Dunnigan (R)

• Where: Taylorsville, West Jordan

• 2024 Margin: Unopposed

• 2022 Margin: Won by 1,273

• Why it matters: Longtime incumbent with moderate branding, but still voted 94.5% with GOP leadership. Quietly vulnerable. Voted for HB226 and against HB267 and HB300.

HD39 — Ken Ivory (R)

• Where: West Jordan

• 2024 Margin: 1,687 votes

• 2022 Margin: 1,254 votes

• Why it matters: ALEC’s Utah poster boy. Author of book bans, anti-education bills, and far-right legislation. Architect of many extreme policies.

HD42 — Clint Okerlund (R)

• Where: Sandy, northern Draper

• 2024 Margin: 2,254 votes

• Why it matters: Extremely competitive district. Kamala got 49.91% here. Okerlund votes 95.5% with leadership and supported every major right-wing bill: union-busting, flag bans, voter suppression.

HD43 — Steve Eliason (R)

• Where: Sandy and Draper

• 2024 Margin: 2,493 votes

• Why it matters: Voters here want pragmatism. Eliason votes 95.3% with leadership, including yes on the automatic deportation trigger, pride flag ban, and to phase out vote-by-mail. He’s out of step with his constituents and we need a strong candidate to call him out on it.

HD44 — Jordan Teuscher (R)

• Where: Daybreak, South Jordan

• 2024 Margin: 4,820 votes

• Why it matters: Authored HB267, the worst bill of the session, targeting workers and collective bargaining. ALEC golden boy. Cosponsored legislation targeting the judiciary and proudly wrote “Republicans Need to Learn Government Unions Can’t Be Trusted” in The Wall Street Journal.

Utah Senate Districts

SD18 — Dan McCay (R)

• Where: Riverton, Herriman, western Draper

• Why it matters: One of the most extreme Republicans in the state. Sponsored:

  • HB77 (flag ban)

  • HB209 (no homeschool background checks)

  • HB226 (deportation)

  • HB250 (anti-pronoun protection)

  • HB445 (voter suppression)
    Voted 92% with leadership. His district is growing fast and getting younger. Time to make him sweat

SD19 — Kirk Cullimore (R)

• Where: Sandy, Draper, Cottonwood Heights, Alpine

• Why it matters: Eviction attorney and Senate architect of the school voucher program. His firm handles 40% of all evictions in Utah. Sponsored:

  • SB337 (local tax power grab)

  • HB81 (fluoride ban)

  • HB267 (union ban)

  • HB281 (mental health restrictions)

  • HB455 (voucher expansion)

• Voted 98.5% with leadership. Big, bad, and overdue for a challenge.

Who We’re Looking For (Maybe It’s You)

You don’t need a background in politics to run for office. In fact, we’d kind of prefer you don’t.

We’re looking for the people already running their communities, not campaigns. The Little League commissioner who quietly keeps 200 kids playing each season. The PTA president who’s been pushing for crosswalks for five years. The barber shop owner who knows everyone by name. The teacher who’s held it together through pandemic burnout, book bans, and a legislature that thinks they’re the problem.

Maybe you’re a Relief Society president who wrote an op-ed. A returned missionary who now works at a nonprofit. A solar tech who’s sick of the state blocking clean energy. A public defender who’s watched too many lives get railroaded. A trans parent. A DACA recipient. A long-hauler. A gig worker. A mom. A caregiver.

You might be thinking:

“But I’ve never run for anything before.”
Neither did most of the best people we’ve worked with.

“Would people take me seriously?”
If you take it seriously, they will too. Authenticity beats polish every time.

“What if I’ve made mistakes?”
Welcome to being human. We’re not looking for perfect. We’re looking for real.

Being a good candidate isn’t about being flashy or flawless, it’s about being grounded, community-connected, and willing to do the work. If you’re someone who listens, shows up, and gives a damn, that’s the baseline.

And yes, it takes time and energy. But it’s doable. Most of our candidates work full-time, parent full-time, or both. We help you plan for that, build in breaks, manage burnout, and avoid being totally overwhelmed.

And here’s the truth: even if you don’t win (though we’re going to try like hell), you still move the needle. You still build power. You still make your story impossible to ignore. And in districts like these, that’s how long-term change begins.

So if any part of this made you sit up a little straighter, or think of someone who should be doing this, follow that instinct.

Maybe, just maybe, it starts with you.

How You Can Help

• Nominate someone – Know a neighbor, coworker, or community leader who fits this vision? Send them our way.

• Run – If you live in one of these districts and have ever thought about running, this is your sign. Let’s talk.

• Donate – Your dollars help us launch early, build infrastructure, and support these candidates from day one. Donate to Elevate PAC.

• Follow the journey – Stay updated, volunteer, or share our posts to help us recruit Utah’s next class of candidates.