Isaac Hale, Daily Herald file photo
Adam Robertson speaks with Greg Hughes, speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, after Robertson won the vote in a Utah County Republican Party special election on Jan. 9, 2018, at Provo High School.
Just weeks after earning reelection to the Utah House of Representatives, Provo’s Adam Robertson announced late Wednesday that he would be stepping down from the legislative body.
“I will miss my association with my fellow legislators. We are lucky to have the caliber of individuals serving, on both sides of the aisle, throughout the State. There is a wide variety of viewpoints, and while we most often agree on policies, there are always issues that spark lively debate. The civility and respect shown to colleagues reminds me why Utah consistently wins awards for being the best managed state in the country,” Robertson wrote.
He will be stepping away, he wrote, to dedicate more time and attention to Fortem Technologies, the company of which he is co-founder and chief technology officer. According to his website, Robertson was “key in securing more than $100M in contracts in the company’s first few years.”
In announcing his resignation, Robertson highlighted the importance of drone technology in the United States’ defense and “emerging airspace security needs.”
Robertson first gained the office after the resignation of then-Rep. Dean Sanpei in 2017. During the special election, he defeated Leo Lines, a longtime political actor and former member of the Utah Republican Party’s Central and Executive committees.
At the time he said he sought the office to help preserve and defend freedoms at the state level and keep regulation in check. He had also previously been precinct vice chair and a state and county delegate for legislative District 63, his district before the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Robertson was reelected with no opposition in 2018 and 2022, and in 2020 he garnered 60.95% support against challengers from the United Utah and Democratic parties.
“I would like to thank Representative Robertson for his years of service and wish him the best in his career,” Skyler Beltran, Utah County Republican Party chair, told the Daily Herald. “We will begin the replacement process right away and I look forward to seeing who the delegates select as the new representative of House District 60.”
According to Beltran, specific dates and a timeline for replacing Robertson will be determined in the coming days. After a multiday filing period, he expects there to be several candidate events before delegates in District 60, which includes the area east of US 89 between 300 North and, mostly, 2620 North. The district includes Brigham Young University and extends east into the Uinta National Forest. Exact boundaries can be found at https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict2022.jsp.
While candidates will have an opportunity to throw their hats into the ring, Robertson endorsed Kimberley Nelson and said he will “actively encourage delegates in my area to support her” in his resignation.
“While I won’t be serving as your State House Representative, I will continue to do my utmost to support Kimberley, or whoever the delegates choose to replace me,” Robertson wrote.
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