Christopher Peterson | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | Christopher Lewis Peterson 1975 (age 48–49) West Valley City, Utah, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Tera Peterson |
Children | 3 |
Education | University of Utah (BA, BS, JD) |
Awards | Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence (2015) Order of the Coif (2001) |
Website | Campaign website |
Christopher Lewis Peterson (born 1975) [1] is an American attorney, legal scholar, and political candidate working as the John J. Flynn Endowed Professor of Law at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. Peterson was the Democratic nominee for the 2020 Utah gubernatorial election, losing to Republican lieutenant governor Spencer Cox. [1] Peterson specializes in consumer protection law. He served as a finance official for the Obama administration, where he focused on protecting United States Armed Forces members from predatory lending. [2]
Born and raised in West Valley City, Utah, Peterson attended public schools. [3] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Utah. [4]
After graduating from law school, Peterson worked in Wyoming, Washington, D.C., and Florida before returning as a professor at his alma mater. In 2012–2016 he was on leave to work in Washington, D.C., where he worked in various roles including as a Special Advisor in the Office of the Director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), in the Office of Legal Policy for Personnel and Readiness in the United States Department of Defense, and as senior counsel for enforcement policy and strategy in the CFPB's Office of Enforcement. [5]
In 2018, he was elected fellow of the American College of Consumer Financial Lawyers. [6]
Peterson announced his candidacy for governor of Utah on March 4, 2020. [1] In April his campaign secured 88.4 percent of the vote during the Democratic Primary Convention. On April 20 he announced Karina Brown, a Cache County resident as his running mate for Lieutenant governor. [2] Brown is a healthcare and Medicaid expansion advocate and was a signatory on Proposition 3 to expand healthcare coverage to 150,000 low income Utahns. Voters approved Proposition 3 in 2018, but it was later replaced by elected state leaders. [7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah Peterson initially supported leaving face mask mandates to local governments until cases in Utah spiked, before urging for a statewide mandate. [8] According to his campaign website Peterson supports increased funding for education in Utah including higher teacher compensation and more funds for supplies. [9] He also supports expanding access to affordable health care, safeguarding consumer rights, and stopping gerrymandering. His campaign website also states he wants to improve air quality in Utah, which at times has been poorest in the nation.
Peterson encouraged Republican candidate Spencer Cox to public debates as early as July, but the Cox campaign ignored or refused requests stating it was too early. [10]
He lives in Salt Lake City and is married to Tera Peterson who is also a practicing attorney. They have three children.[ citation needed ]
The Beehive Flag is the official flag of the U.S. State of Utah. It is a horizontal tricolor with irregular bands of blue, white, and red. The middle white band contains a blue hexagon outlined in gold. Within the hexagon lies a gold-colored beehive, and below it sits a five-pointed white star.
The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Utah have significantly evolved in the 21st century. Protective laws have become increasingly enacted since 2014, despite the state's reputation as socially conservative and highly religious. Utah's anti-sodomy law was invalidated in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas, and fully repealed by the state legislature in 2019. Same-sex marriage has been legal since the state's ban was ruled unconstitutional by federal courts in 2014. In addition, statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing, and the use of conversion therapy on minors is prohibited. In spite of this, there are still a few differences between the treatment of LGBT people and the rest of the population, and the rights of transgender youth are restricted.
Gary Richard Herbert is an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Utah from 2009 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the National Governors Association during the 2015–2016 cycle.
Gregory Holden Hughes is an American politician who served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives representing District 51 from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2018. Hughes is the former Speaker of the House for the House of Representatives in the state of Utah. He announced that he would not be seeking reelection as Speaker of the House or as a representative in 2018. In 2020, Hughes ran for the office of Governor of Utah. Spencer Cox became the Republican nominee after the Republican primary vote. Hughes ran to replace retiring U.S. Congressman Chris Stewart in the 2023 Utah 2nd congressional district special election, losing the primary to Celeste Maloy.
Equality Utah is an American non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which is Utah's largest LGBT rights group based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The organization is a member of the Equality Federation.
David Keith Nelson was an American activist for the protection of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. He founded or helped found several LGBT-related nonprofit organizations in Utah and helped direct others. His work with the Democratic Party encouraged many LGBT Utahns to serve as party leaders. His work as a legislative and executive lobbyist accomplished the adoption of several LGBT- and weapon-friendly state and local laws, rules, ordinances and policies, and the rejection of other legislation.
Spencer James Cox is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 18th governor of Utah since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah from 2013 to 2021. In Fairview, Utah, where Cox lives and was raised, he was elected to the city council in 2004 and then as mayor in 2005. In 2008, he was elected as a Sanpete County commissioner.
Sean David Reyes is an American lawyer and politician who has been the Attorney General of Utah since 2013. Appointed to the office by Governor Gary Herbert following the resignation of John Swallow, Reyes was reelected. Reyes is a member of the Republican Party and is a vocal and longtime supporter of Donald Trump. He has served as a county, state, and national delegate for the Republican Party and a member of the Utah Republican Party's State Central Committee.
Daniel McCay is an American politician and a Republican member of the Utah Senate representing District 18. Prior to redistricting he represented District 11. He was in the Utah House of Representatives representing District 41 from 2013 through 2018. McCay was initially appointed by Republican Governor of Utah Gary Herbert to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Carl Wimmer.
Brian S. King is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 23rd district. Before redistricting following the 2020 Census, he represented the 28th district since January 1, 2009. In April 2024, he became the Utah Democratic Party's nominee for Governor.
Brian E. Shiozawa is an American politician and a Republican member of the Utah State Senate representing District 8 from January 1, 2013 to December 11, 2017.
Deidre Marie Henderson is an American politician serving as the ninth lieutenant governor of Utah since January 4, 2021. From 2013 to 2021, she served as member of the Utah State Senate for District 7, which is based in Spanish Fork, Utah.
The 2020 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Although incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert was eligible to run for re-election to a third full term, he initially announced shortly after being re-elected in 2016 that he would not run again, but indicated in January 2019 that he was open to the possibility of running again before ultimately deciding to retire and endorse his lieutenant governor, Spencer Cox. Utah had not had a Democratic governor since Scott M. Matheson left office in January 1985. This is the second longest active streak of one-party leadership, trailing only South Dakota, which had not had a Democratic governor since Harvey L. Wollman left office in 1979.
John Dougall is an American politician from the state of Utah who has been serving as the Utah State Auditor since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a Utah State Representative from 2003 to 2013. Dougall assumed office during the 55th legislative session, replacing David Litvack. Dougall has received bipartisan praise for his accomplishments as state auditor.
The Utah Medical Cannabis Act is an initiative to legalize medical cannabis that qualified to appear on the November 2018 ballot in the U.S. state of Utah as Proposition 2.
Thomas Wright is an American politician, real estate broker, and was a candidate for the 2020 Utah gubernatorial election. Wright previously served as the chairman of the Utah Republican Party from 2011 to 2013.
The COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. state of Utah in early March 2020 with travel-related cases. Residents stockpiled goods, large conferences were made remote-only, postponed, or cancelled; a state of emergency was declared, and some public universities and other colleges switched to online-only classes. After the first case of community spread was found on March 14, Utah faced a shortage of testing kits, and public schools were ordered to be closed. Community spread was confirmed in more counties, and the state issued a public health order prohibiting dine-in service in restaurants and gatherings of more than 10 people except in grocery stores. A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Wasatch Front on March 18, 2020, hampering the pandemic response.
Utah state elections in 2020 were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Aside from its presidential primaries held on March 3, its primary elections were held on June 30, 2020.
Joel Ferry is an American politician and rancher who served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 1st district. Elected in 2018, he assumed office on January 2, 2019.
The 2024 Utah gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Governor Spencer Cox is running for re-election to a second term in office. Primary elections took place on June 25, 2024.