Here’s whom Utah Senate Democrats elected to be the Legislature’s new minority leader for 2023
Republicans Stuart Adams and Brad Wilson are expected to win another term as Senate President and House Speaker when the GOP meets Thursday evening.
(Rachel Rydalch | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Utah State Capitol building is pictured during a rain storm as the last day of the legislative session comes to an end on Friday, March 4, 2022.
Days after the 2022 midterm, and as final votes are still being tallied, state lawmakers have started to elect their leaders for the 2023 Utah Legislature.
Utah Senate Democrats picked an all-female leadership team for the 2023 session on Thursday morning.
State Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, will be the new Senate minority leader, swapping places with Sen. Karen Mayne, D-Salt Lake City, who moved into the number two slot as minority whip.
Senator-elect Jennifer Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, will be the new assistant minority whip, while Senator-elect Stephanie Pitcher, D-Salt Lake City, is the Minority Caucus Manager. Pitcher, who currently represents Utahns in House District 40, is projected to win her race for the Utah Senate.
Utah House and Senate Republicans will meet Thursday night to elect their own leadership.
Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, are expected to both win a third term in chamber leadership.
If he wins, Wilson will be the second House Speaker in Utah history to serve three terms. The last was Marty Stephens, who was elected in 1998 and served in that role until 2004, when he launched an unsuccessful bid for governor.
There could be a big shakeup on the Senate GOP’s leadership team.
Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, is said to be facing a challenge from state Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton. Majority Whip Ann Millner, R-Ogden, is also reportedly being challenged for that position by state Sen. Jake Anderegg of Lehi.
Sandy Sen. Kirk Cullimore will likely remain as majority assistant whip after Thursday night’s vote.
House Democrats won’t meet to elect leaders until Nov. 22, after the election results have been officially certified. Current House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, tells The Salt Lake Tribune that he won’t seek a fifth consecutive term leading the minority party.
On the House side, Majority Assistant Whip Val Peterson, R-Orem, has a quartet of challengers for that position on the leadership team — including State Reps. Carl Albrecht of Richfield, Brady Brammer of Highland, Karianne Lisonbee of Clearfield and Candace Pierucci of Riverton.
House Majority Leader Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, and House Majority Whip Jefferson Moss, R-Saratoga Springs, are expected to stay in those positions for another two-year term.
This story is breaking and will be updated after Utah Senate Republicans elect their leadership team.
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