Note to readers • Click here to find an interactive map where you can enter your address to see all the races on your ballot that have a voter guide from The Salt Lake Tribune.

Both candidates vying to represent the westernmost portion of Salt Lake County want to protect childcare subsidies that keep parents working.

Republican incumbent Anthony Loubet and Democrat Liz Oates also share the opinion that water needs to be a priority over growth.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Mail-in ballots must be dropped off at a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or, if returned by mail, must be received by the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Candidates submitted photos and answers through a questionnaire. Answers may have been edited for style and clarity. Candidate responses are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Utah voters told us government corruption is their top concern in this year’s election. Why do you think voters feel this way? And why should Utahns trust you to represent them?

Anthony Loubet: Trust in government is at an all-time low. Utahns feel stripped of a real voice as national partisanship creeps into state-level decisions — a concern west-side voters raise constantly.

I’ve answered this by remaining an independent, highly bipartisan voice. In the Legislature, I’ve held regular bipartisan town halls and shown up in every corner of my district, regardless of party or perspective. Trust is earned through transparency, accessibility, and real accountability.

Liz Oates: Utahns are tired of the Legislature ignoring their voices. Voters have watched the Legislature overturn the redistricting reform they approved and make citizen initiatives harder to pass, so it’s no wonder they feel unheard.

I’m running because I think that should change. I’m not a lawyer, a developer, or a career politician. I’m a mom from Magna who’s spent her life showing up for people, as a nurse’s aide, a funeral director, and now a health insurance case manager.

Utahns told us affordability is their second-highest priority in this election. How would you help Utahns afford housing, groceries, gas and other day-to-day expenses?

Loubet: West-side families feel rising costs acutely. I’ve put working families first by supporting career and technical education, including in our public schools, defending union members, expanding affordable housing, and I’m seeking additional funding for childcare subsidies to help working families in the next session. I’ve also championed expanding the child tax credit and removing the state sales tax on groceries.

Oates: I’ve worked jobs that paid close to minimum wage and spent 20 years in health insurance, so I’ve seen both sides of what families are up against. We need to raise the minimum wage to index with inflation, invest in real affordable housing options, and protect subsidized daycare programs that keep parents working. I’d also push to find solutions that bring healthcare costs down so a doctor visit doesn’t bankrupt a family.

Water resources were also a top concern for voters. What policies would you support as Utah looks to balance growth with preservation of the Great Salt Lake and the Colorado River?

Loubet: We must conserve more water, protect the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River, and require consistent water-use standards as Utah grows. I’ve supported investments in water conservation, including millions directed to the Great Salt Lake, and voted for legislation improving transparency around water use, including by data centers.

I’ll continue pursuing practical conservation solutions that protect our water resources while allowing responsible growth.

Oates: I grew up under the Oquirrhs watching Rio Tinto’s dust blow into my neighborhood, and I’ve watched the Great Salt Lake shrink ever since I was a teenager.

Growth cannot continue to be prioritized over protecting our limited water resources. We need to push for real accountability measures for the state’s biggest water users and polluters, find smarter agricultural water use methods, and treat the GSL lake level like the existential emergency that it is.

What is another topic you care about and want to address if elected to public office?

Loubet: I care deeply about making unelected bodies and programs more accountable while helping working families afford life. I’ll continue working across party lines to increase transparency, protect constitutional privacy rights, and ensure public agencies and boards remain answerable to taxpayers and residents they serve.

I’ll also seek additional childcare assistance and support practical solutions that help families access affordable, reliable care.

Oates: Mental health and disability services. My brother is autistic; my sister and I spent years fighting an impossible system just to get him the Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and housing he’d already earned and relied on. I care about mental health, too, both from my own experience and from what I saw working in healthcare. I’d push to clear the 7,000-person Division of Services for People with Disabilities waitlist, raise provider pay, and expand real mental health and crisis care in Utah.

How will you vote on Constitutional Amendment A? If passed, the amendment will stop the practice of publishing the full text of amendments and ballot questions by lawmakers in a newspaper for 60 days ahead of an election and instead require that text to be published on two state websites.

Loubet: For

Oates: Against.

How will you vote on Constitutional Amendment B? If passed, citizen-proposed laws that increase taxes would need to be approved by 60% of voters, instead of a simple majority.

Loubet: Declined to answer.

Oates: Against.

What’s your favorite book and why?

Loubet: My favorite series at the moment is Brandon Sanderson’s “Stormlight Archive.” Its characters have flaws, wrestle with trauma, and strive to improve. I love how that reflects us: imperfect people who can keep moving forward and become better.

Oates: “The Diary of Anne Frank.” As a teen, I felt a kinship with Anne, and it opened my eyes to the horrors of the Holocaust. It led me to read other books that tell stories of those who have faced injustice, which awoke in me a desire to help others.