Zane Woolstenhulme didn’t expect to start a political campaign so soon after he failed to secure a second term as Oakley’s mayor. But after some reflection, he realized he isn’t ready to hang up his “chaps and spurs.”

After losing the mayoral election last fall, Woolstenhulme was asked by the former head of the Summit County Democratic Party if he would ever run for the state Legislature. Woolstenhulme was initially hesitant, joking that he was beaten badly — earning about 33% of the vote compared to now-Mayor Steve Wilmoth’s more than 67% — and that he wouldn’t be the right candidate. 

But Woolstenhulme changed his mind after speaking with residents in Morgan, Rich and portions of Summit counties — the areas that make up Utah House of Representatives District 4, where he’s filed to run as a Democratic candidate.

“I have a little sign in my office above a picture of a workhorse in a mine who’s just got his head down, pulling. The sign was given to me years ago by some colleagues at the South Summit School District, and it says, ‘The soul is awakened through service,’” Woolstenhulme said. “I guess I’m not ready to sleep yet. The more I thought about it, I thought maybe I’ve got a shot.”

Though this is Woolstenhulme’s first run for state office, he has deep roots in public service.

Woolstenhulme grew up in Oakley helping out on the family farm or in his father’s store, Ken’s Kash, when he wasn’t at school. After graduating from high school in 1977, he served a mission in Toulouse, France. Then, Woolstenhulme earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

In 1988, he was hired as a business administrator for the South Summit School District and held the role until about 2008. Woolstenhulme then worked in the Logan City School District for several years before accepting a position with the Ogden City School District in 2014, where he works today.

Woolstenhulme also served on the Oakley Planning Commission from 1989 to 2008, the same year he left eastern Summit County. He was appointed chairman of the Planning Commission in 2019 when he returned to Oakley. Then, Woolstenhulme served as mayor from January 2022 to December 2025. 

He said his experience in local government and education, paired with his longstanding commitment to public service, make him a strong candidate for House District 4. Woolstenhulme added that he offers a perspective that’s not well represented in the state Legislature, which lacks the relevant experience to address schools and local issues such as zoning, planning, housing and land use. 

Morgan and Rich counties also experience similar issues to what Woolstenhulme is familiar with, having lived and worked in Summit County. Morgan County has rural characteristics, but is experiencing rapid growth. Rich County is an agricultural community reliant on second homeowners for a tax base. 

Managing growth, preventing the gentrification of communities and the volume of bills processed by the Legislature during the general session are Woolstenhulme’s top concerns. He’s also interested in topics like education, funding, policy, sustainable land use, water and energy. 

Woolstenhulme acknowledged that House District 4 tends to lean Republican, but he said the best solutions require bipartisan cooperation and representation from all voices, regardless of political party. A key motivation for Woolstenhulme’s campaign is a frustration with excessive partisanship and a feeling that important issues are not being addressed through collaborative, pragmatic approaches.

“I think the problems we face … require the best heads at the table, and that may mean that we need to play in the sandbox with people that may not think ideologically the way we do on every issue. I believe it takes everybody to solve those problems,” he said. 

Woolstenhulme said the biggest takeaway from his 2025 mayoral campaign is that you don’t always win, but that you do what you can, knowing you did your best. He said there’s more to do now than ever, and plans to “take the wins” where he can.

So, his first goal is simply to earn the Utah Democratic Party’s nomination to represent House District 4.

Delegates will select either Woolstenhulme or fellow Oakley resident Zeppelin Zeerip as the party’s nominee during an upcoming convention, though a primary election could be triggered and take place on June 23. 

Incumbent Rep. Tiara Auxier, Silver Creek Village resident Kris Campbell and Snyderville Basin resident Brandi Connolly are seeking the GOP nomination.

The Democratic and Republican nominees will face off in the November general election.

The post Former Oakley mayor launches Democratic bid for state House District 4 appeared first on Park Record.

Silver Creek Village resident Kris Campbell is once again campaigning to represent District 4 in the Utah House of Representatives. But this time, he’s running as a Republican. 

Campbell earned the Utah Democratic Party’s nomination for the District 4 seat, which encompasses Morgan, Rich and most of Summit counties, in 2022 and in 2024, failing to defeat former GOP Rep. Kera Birkeland at the general election each time. Campbell later registered as a Republican in hopes of securing the state GOP’s nomination after Birkeland resigned weeks after the 2024 election, though he did not earn enough support.

Now, Campbell is sticking with the party to advocate for fair representation in Utah’s political landscape amidst an ongoing redistricting debacle and he is motivated by a desire to create a more open dialogue between political parties.

“I continue to want to find ways to continue the conversation across the political spectrum, to improve the conversation between constituents and elected officials,” Campbell said. “I think we get our best solutions when we’re combining our perspectives and sharing and continuing to work together to improve communication.”

Campbell grew up in Wyoming and earned a bachelor’s degree in math before moving to New York for his master’s degree in applied math. He spent some time living in central Pennsylvania before the mountains came calling. Campbell then moved to Utah, where he earned a doctorate in computing, and eventually relocated to Summit County in 2009.

Campbell’s career has largely been focused in the technology and communications industries, and he considers himself skilled in problem-solving. In the fall, he founded consulting business Raven Insights to help businesses and individuals “catalyze” their work.

For more than 15 years, Campbell has been involved with nonprofits and community organizations, including Summit Pride, Park City Rotary, American Civil Liberties Union of Utah and BootUp PD, an organization dedicated to helping elementary school students learn coding skills. Campbell also describes himself as a “transgender man of faith.”

Campbell said he’s been inspired to run for public office because community — and community service — is important to him. In 2020, Campbell started gathering signatures as an unaffiliated candidate before the coronavirus pandemic discouraged him from knocking on doors.

In 2022, Birkeland hosted a town hall in Morgan County that Campbell attended and later encouraged him to run for office. The then-Democrat saw a campaign as an opportunity to start conversations about what the candidates have in common and discuss what good policy means. That’s the philosophy he carried into the 2024 campaign, and now 2026.

“One of the issues that’s been really important to me over time is fair representation,” Campbell said. “I’m really interested in how we can improve our electoral process to make sure people feel represented in the state of Utah, because of the way districts have been gerrymandered, Democrats and Independents do not feel represented at the state level. Just like in Summit County, Republicans did not feel represented at the county-level.”

Campbell said he believes in personal freedom without infringements from the government and considers himself more fiscally conservative. He’s always identified as independent and feels party politics are unhealthy. Campbell said his focus is on unity, not the initial next to his name.

If elected to state House District 4, Campbell hopes to build constructive cross-party collaboration and civic involvement. He is committed to transparency and improving the legislative process, including increasing public participation, fair representation and accessibility. 

Campbell sees the major issues as fair representation, fair process and fair taxes. He also wants to address other areas affecting voters in Summit, Morgan and Rich counties, such as affordable housing, second-home ownership, environmental protections and personal privacy.  

He’s also committed to improving local control and preventing state overreach. Campbell specifically mentioned how Summit County was “micromanaged” by the Legislature during the Dakota Pacific Real Estate development process, and ultimately passed a law requiring officials to approve the project. 

Campbell is challenging incumbent Rep. Tiara Auxier to win the Republican nomination for District 4. Snyderville Basin resident Brandi Connolly is also campaigning for the seat. The state GOP will choose its nominee during an upcoming convention, though a primary election could take place on June 23.

The Republican nominee will face either Zane Woolstenhulme or Zeppelin Zeerip, both Democrats, during the general election on Nov. 3.

The post Kris Campbell seeks Utah House District 4 seat as a Republican appeared first on Park Record.