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Republican Anna Reeves has set her sights on replacing Democrat Doug Owens as the House representative for District 33, which covers parts of Millcreek and Holladay.

Owens, the House minority caucus manager, has been in office since 2021. A corporate and environmental attorney, he founded the nonprofit Utah Outdoor Partners, which facilitates the creation of recreation infrastructure like parks and trials.

Owens has served on numerous legislative committees, including the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee, the House Ethics Committee and the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee. One of his priorities, according to his website, is protecting the environment and Utah’s outdoor recreation economy. Another is making higher education more economical.

Reeves won the Republican primary uncontested after defeating Gerald Burt at the Republican convention. Burt lost to Owens for the District 33 seat in 2022.

Reeves said she supports transparency and conflict-of-interest safeguards in government and opposes both Constitutional Amendment A and B. She is also concerned about wildfire suppression policies and favors exploring alternative ways of capturing water to help buoy the Great Salt Lake and the Colorado River.

The Salt Lake Tribune posed the following questions to both candidates based on a reader survey about the issues Utahns felt were most important this election season. 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.

Remember: Election Day is Nov. 3. Mail ballots must be dropped in a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or — if returned by mail — in the clerk’s possession by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

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?

Doug Owens: Voters are frustrated when major decisions seem to be made behind closed doors or for the benefit of well-connected interests. Trust has to be earned. I work across party lines, explain my votes, disclose potential conflicts and stay accessible to the people I represent. My constituents may not agree with every vote I cast, but they will always know where I stand and that I am working for them.

Anna Reeves: Government exists to serve the people, not the ambitions of those governing. Public office is a position of trust, not an opportunity for personal enrichment or political favoritism. I support transparency in government spending, open decision-making, strong conflict-of-interest safeguards, and accountability for misuse of public resources. Citizens deserve honest government, equal treatment under the law, and representatives who remember whom they were elected to serve.

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?

Owens: Utah families should not have to leave the communities they love because everyday life has become unaffordable. I support building more attainable housing near jobs and transit, helping first-time home buyers, preserving existing affordable homes and scrutinizing tax incentives that shift costs onto families. I will also support responsible budgets and targeted relief that lowers costs without creating new burdens elsewhere.

Reeves: Each dollar government takes is a dollar families cannot spend on their needs. Scrutiny of taxes, fees, regulations and spending must become routine. We must address policies raising housing, energy and transportation costs. State-granted utility monopolies provide essential, reliable service; they should seek efficiencies, control costs and pass savings to Utahns. Neither young families nor seniors on fixed incomes should be priced out of their communities. We must build a future for all Utahns.

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?

Owens: Growth must fit within Utah’s water supply. I support better water-use data, conservation incentives, agricultural optimization and requiring water-intensive developments to account for their impact. We must get more water to the Great Salt Lake while working with other Colorado River states on practical, durable solutions. Utah can grow, but only if we treat water as the limited resource it is.

Reeves: Utah must look beyond conserving our existing water supply. I support protecting the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River through responsible water management, while boldly pursuing technologies that could bring new water to our state. Water recycling, atmospheric water capture, desalination and other innovations deserve serious research. We should plan for a future of abundance, not simply manage scarcity.

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

Owens: Utahns deserve clear answers about the rapid growth of large data centers. I secured unanimous committee support for a legislative study of their effects on our water, air, wildlife and the Great Salt Lake. I will keep pressing for transparent water and energy use, fair allocation of infrastructure costs and safeguards that prevent communities and ratepayers from carrying the burden of private development.

Reeves: I care about protecting citizens from losing fundamental rights through lengthy, one-sided agreements. For example, a hospital in Utah State House District 33 requires patients seeking treatment to sign an agreement authorizing the use of drugs that are not FDA-approved. Patients should not have to surrender important rights simply to receive medical care. Informed consent should be meaningful, not buried in pages of legal language.

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.

Owens: Against.

Reeves: 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.

Owens: Against.

Reeves: Against.

What’s your favorite book and why?

Owens: My favorite book is “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Abraham Lincoln embodied our country’s highest ideals. I admire his humility, resilience and ability to bring together people with sharply different views.

Reeves: Shortsighted fire suppression policies worsen the very problem they aim to prevent. “Ecological Restoration of Southwestern Ponderosa Pine Forests” (Nabhan 2003) shows how understanding forests’ biology and historic management can restore their health.