Sen. Brady Brammer has represented Senate District 21, which includes some of the fastest-growing communities in the state — including parts of Alpine, Cedar Hills, Pleasant Grove, Lehi and American Fork — since 2025.

This year, Brammer, who is an attorney, is trying to win the Republican nomination versus Kelly Smith, a retired educator who has been a Republican activist and has served on the Cedar Hills City Council for the past five years.

Brammer says he deserves to be reelected because he has delivered results on tax cuts, conservative spending, public safety, local control and protecting Utah values.

Smith is running on a platform of government transparency, fiscal conservatism, term limits, local control and stronger communication with constituents.

The winner of the Republican primary will go up against Kandee Myers, the Democratic nominee, and Wayne Woodfield, the Forward Utah Party candidate, in the November election.

The Salt Lake Tribune posed the following seven questions to Brammer and Smith, based on a reader survey about the issues that readers felt were most important this election season. The questions and their answers that appear below — with the candidates listed in alphabetical order — may have been edited slightly for length, style or grammar.

A plurality of voters, more than 30%, said elected official corruption is the primary issue driving who they’ll vote for, with another nearly 14% of voters saying it is their second-highest issue. Why are so many Utah voters concerned about corruption in politics? How will you build trust with Utahns?

Brammer: Utahns are concerned because trust is earned, and too often government feels distant, opaque and more responsive to insiders than citizens. The answer is not cynicism; it is accountability. I will keep strengthening audits, protecting public comment and making sure taxpayer dollars are controlled by elected officials who answer to the people. Public service should be stewardship, not entitlement. Government works best when it remembers who it serves.

Smith: Utahns are concerned because government works best when there are strong checks and balances. When one party holds a large supermajority and decisions can move forward with little resistance, many voters feel government is becoming less accountable to the public. Recent concerns over data centers have also raised questions about whether powerful interests have too much influence. I will build trust, as I have as a city council member, by being accessible, holding regular town halls, explaining my votes, supporting transparency and putting the interests of District 21 residents first.

After corruption, more than 16% of Utah voters said everyday affordability — like the cost of housing, groceries, gas, etc — is the first thing on their minds as they vote this year. Another 15% said it is their second-highest issue. What will you do to help make life more affordable for Utahns?

Brammer: Affordability begins with government discipline. I will keep pushing to restrain spending, limit unnecessary regulation, and return money to families whenever possible. The tax cuts over the last six years save the average family in my district $700 dollars per year. On housing, Utah needs more supply, faster permitting and local solutions that respect communities while allowing our children to stay here. On energy, we should resist policies that drive up basic costs for working families. Utahns do not need government to run their lives; they need it to stop making life more expensive.

Smith: Utah families are being squeezed by housing costs, rising property taxes, energy prices and everyday expenses. The state should focus on practical solutions: investing in infrastructure before growth outpaces capacity, reducing unnecessary regulations that drive up housing costs, preserving transportation corridors to reduce commuting expenses and opposing unfunded mandates that shift costs to local taxpayers. We need greater oversight of large projects, including data centers, to ensure they are not increasing costs for residents through higher demand on water, energy and infrastructure.

Utah has experienced drought for much of the last two decades. The availability of water is the third-most-pressing issue for voters this year. What can elected officials do to ensure Utahns have enough water for the future?

Brammer: Water is not a partisan issue; it is a stewardship obligation. Utah must plan for growth with honest data, invest in storage and delivery infrastructure, and increase our reservoir inventory. We should work with agriculture, cities, and water districts rather than pit them against each other. The goal is simple: protect Utah’s families, farms, and future by making disciplined, long-term decisions now instead of waiting for a crisis to force our hand.

Smith: Utah needs a balanced, data-driven approach to water policy. We should continue investing in conservation, infrastructure improvements, leak reduction, water reuse and agricultural efficiency while recognizing that agriculture, industry and growing communities all play important roles in our economy. We also need greater transparency about future water demands from large developments and data centers to ensure growth does not outpace our resources. Long-term planning should be based on reliable data, local input and protecting water for future generations.

Should the state continue to pursue nuclear energy? What can be done to address Utah’s growing energy needs?

Brammer: Yes. Utah needs an energy policy built on reality, not slogans or panic. As our population and economy grow, we must protect reliable baseload power, strengthen transmission and keep energy affordable for families and businesses. I support an all-of-the-above approach that includes responsible development of Utah’s traditional resources, and innovation in new technologies including geothermal and nuclear (provided safety concerns are addressed). Energy security is economic security, and Utah should not surrender it to federal mandates or wishful thinking.

Smith: Yes. Utah’s energy policy should focus on reliability, affordability and long-term planning. Utah produces more electricity than it uses and exports power to neighboring states, including California. As demand grows, we should maintain a diverse energy portfolio that includes traditional energy, renewables, storage and transmission infrastructure. Current policies generally require large users, including data centers, to cover the costs of increased demand. We must continue ensuring Utah families and small businesses are not subsidizing growth while maintaining reliable, affordable energy.

In 2018, voters narrowly passed the Better Boundaries initiative, creating an independent redistricting commission and prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. The Legislature’s attempts to significantly weaken the Better Boundaries initiative spawned years of litigation, culminating in a court adopting new congressional boundaries. Who should be responsible for drawing Utah’s political boundaries? Why?

Brammer: Article IX of Utah’s constitution places this responsibility with the legislature. Until the constitution is changed, it remains with the legislature.

Smith: Legislators have a constitutional responsibility to draw political boundaries, but the process must be transparent, include meaningful public input and prioritize communities of interest over partisan advantage. Voters clearly expressed a desire for greater independence and accountability in 2018. Subsequent changes, including the removal of restrictions on protecting incumbent seats, should concern anyone who values public trust. I support legislative responsibility combined with independent review, public participation and transparency to reduce concerns about political self-interest.

Is there an imbalance of power between the Legislature and the courts? If so, what should be done about it?

Brammer: There is tension, but not every difference in power is an imbalance. Utah’s Constitution gives courts an essential but limited role: decide cases and say what the law means. The legislature’s role is broader: make law, fund government and shape much of the court system itself, with legislative involvement throughout Article VIII (which is the part about the courts). That may frustrate some, but it is the constitutional design. The answer is not to politicize the courts, but to respect each branch’s limits and enforce each branch’s limits.

Smith: The Legislature and the courts serve different but equally important roles. The Legislature writes laws and the courts ensure those laws comply with the Utah and U.S. Constitutions. Utah’s judicial nominating process has long been viewed as a model for the country and efforts to undermine it and move towards election of judges is deeply concerning. Tension between the branches is not a flaw — it’s a feature of our system of checks and balances. I am more concerned when any branch accumulates too much power. Rather than weakening the courts, we should focus on passing clear constitutional laws.

What do you believe is the most pressing issue before voters this year? What can be done to address it?

Brammer: The most pressing issue is affordability. Families feel it in housing, groceries, energy, insurance and nearly every monthly bill. State government cannot control every price, but it can control its own appetite. I will keep pushing for disciplined budgets, lower taxes and regulatory restraint so Utah families keep more of what they earn. We should also make it easier to build starter homes, protect affordable energy and avoid policies that quietly raise the cost of living. A growing Utah must remain a livable Utah.

Smith: I believe government trust is the most pressing foundational issue because public confidence in institutions can affect how effectively policymakers address concerns such as affordability, water resources, growth, transportation, education and energy. When decision-making processes are transparent and responsive to public input, it is easier to build consensus around solutions and implement them efficiently. Tangible outcomes on issues like housing costs or infrastructure are the primary drivers of trust. Trust and policy outcomes influence one another.