What you need to know about Utah’s new senator
Rep. John Curtis will be Utah's next member of the U.S. Senate.
The race to replace Sen. Mitt Romney was called by The Associated Press shortly after polls closed on Tuesday night. Romney announced in September 2023 that he would not be seeking reelection after his first, and last, six-year term in office.
A large field of Republican candidates quickly declared their intentions to fill the open senate seat but Curtis carried a clear lead in the polls and fundraising numbers before going on to win the GOP primary with a near-majority of votes. Curtis defeated his Democratic opponent, Caroline Gleich, by over 30 percentage points in the general election.
Curtis received the promotion from Utah voters after seven years representing the state's 3rd Congressional District and nearly eight years serving as Provo mayor. Curtis, known for spearheading a conservative approach to environmental policy, centered his Senate campaign on what he called "Utah values," arguing for a pragmatic approach to cutting the debt, competing with China and supporting former President Donald Trump.
Here's what you need to know about Utah's newest U.S. senator.
What is Curtis' background?
Curtis grew up in the East Millcreek area and attended Skyline High School where he met his wife. The two now share six children and 17 grandchildren.
Curtis served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Taiwan. A fluent Mandarin speaker, Curtis returned to Taiwan for another year after college to work in international trade.
Curtis received a bachelor's degree in business management from Brigham Young University before working as a regional manager of O.C. Tanner, a Salt Lake City-based manufacturer of employee recognition awards.
Before entering politics, Curtis served for over a decade as the chief operations officer of Action Target, a shooting range supplier located in Provo.
What is Curtis' record?
After joining Action Target, Curtis launched a short-lived effort to give Utahns more choices on the ballot by running unsuccessfully for the state Legislature as a Democrat.
Curtis was elected to the nonpartisan position of Provo mayor in 2009 and within a few years boasted a 94% approval rating, built on initiatives like the Provo Clean Air Toolkit .
Curtis entered Utah's congressional delegation in 2017, after winning a special election to replace former Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz.
Curtis is one of Congress' most productive lawmakers. He has passed around 20 bills ranging from securing federal land for Utah to incentivizing nuclear energy projects.
In 2021, Curtis created the Conservative Climate Caucus with the goal of giving Republicans a seat at the table in environmental discussions.
What are Curtis' goals?
Curtis has promised to advance a "Republican approach" to climate policy that prioritizes energy affordability and reliability as well as decreased emissions.
Curtis said he will push to implement Utah's baseline budget in the Senate, which would guarantee government funding while encouraging a return to more careful spending.
Curtis believes the country must become better prepared to fend off a security threat from China, whether it's a cyberattack or an invasion of Taiwan.
If Trump wins the presidency, Curtis said he will be "wind at his back" as long as he acts in line with "Utah values." Otherwise, Curtis said he will speak up in opposition to Trump.
Curtis' pragmatic approach became the target of criticism from primary and general election challengers. His Republican opponents criticized his interest in clean energy and his views on Trump, while his Democratic opponents argued he had not done enough to address climate change or to distance himself from the extreme wings of his party.
Instead of defending his loyalty to the GOP, or abandoning it, Curtis has said he is best defined by "Utah values," like hard work, self-reliance and charity, that might not fit neatly under conservative, moderate or liberal labels.
