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.

Incumbent Utah House Rep. Matt MacPherson has made his name as a conservative firebrand in the Legislature since he took office in 2023 representing the West Valley City district.

This year, he faces Democrat Michael Finch in one of the Legislature’s most closely watched races. Finch is running a campaign focused on affordability and protecting mail-in voting, among other issues.

Election Day is Nov. 3. Mail ballots must be dropped off at a ballot dropbox 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?

Finch: Voters are paying attention. They see politicians packing the courts, threatening judges with impeachment, and making it harder to vote by mail. They see legislators voting on bills that pad their own profits while families can’t afford a home. Politicians grab more power for themselves, they don’t have to answer to anyone: not the courts, not the Constitution, and certainly not the voters. I will respect the will of the voters, respect the rule of law and respect everyone in Utah.

MacPherson: People are frustrated because too many politicians promise big and deliver little, then hide behind vague talk instead of results. I hear it at the door every week in West Valley City and Magna. I don’t ask people to trust me on faith. I ask them to check my record: a sixth straight year of income tax cuts, a 15% gas tax cut, real dollars into public safety and schools. Numbers anyone can look up. That’s how you earn trust: deliver, and be honest about what’s still unfinished.

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?

Finch: Housing costs are crushing families, and it doesn’t help when developers in the Legislature write the rules that benefit themselves. Leisa and I have 18 grandchildren, and we worry whether they’ll be able to afford to live in the community they grew up in. I’ll fight to build more affordable housing and crack down on corporate investors buying homes. I’ll vote to eliminate the state tax on Social Security, eliminate sales tax on groceries, and expand affordable childcare and healthcare.

MacPherson: Groceries, gas, rent: it all costs more than it used to, and I live here too. This year I helped cut the state income tax for the sixth year in a row, worth $101 million back in Utahns’ pockets, and cut the gas tax by 15%. I backed an expanded child tax credit and new childcare tax credits for small businesses so more families qualify. Truth in Taxation keeps property tax hikes transparent.

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?

Finch: I live 10 minutes from the Great Salt Lake. When the dust blows in, my grandkids can’t play outside. Dust from the Great Salt Lake is a daily concern for my family. I’ll support water conservation funding and push developers to pay for the infrastructure their projects demand. The Legislature has promised to address the Great Salt Lake for years, and families like mine are still waiting for results. Our water, our air and our kids’ health deserve action, not more promises.

MacPherson: My kids have grown up worried about the Great Salt Lake, and I don’t blame them. This year the Legislature moved nearly $100 million toward saving it: buying up water rights, cutting red tape that keeps water from reaching the lake, and pushing the federal government to be a real partner on the Colorado River. We also funded dam safety upgrades and protected long-term water rights. We haven’t solved it, but we’re finally moving in the right direction, and I’m not letting up.

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

Finch: Standing up for the people who keep our communities running. HB 267 took collective bargaining away from firefighters, teachers and police officers. Over 320,000 Utahns signed the referendum to fight back. When politicians go after the workers who protect our neighborhoods, teach our kids and run into burning buildings, something has gone wrong. I’ll defend worker’s rights, fully fund our public schools, and make sure working families have a seat at the table.

MacPherson: Every time I talk to teachers and parents in West Valley City and Magna, it comes back to one question: are our kids getting what they need? This year we put over $145 million more into public schools, raised per-student funding by more than 4%, and got starting teacher pay up to nearly $60,000. Utah’s ranked 6th in the nation for education. I want us in the top 3, and I’m not done fighting for it.

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.

Finch: Against.

MacPherson: For.

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.

Finch: Against.

MacPherson: For.

What’s your favorite book and why?

Finch: “The Guns of August” by Barbara Tuchman. The narrative is compelling as it progresses through political errors leading to World War I. I enjoy reading about history. Understanding what life was like, learn from the past, what can we do better.

MacPherson: “Basic Economics” by Thomas Sowell. It’s a plain-English explanation of scarcity, incentives and trade-offs anyone can follow. It reminds me to ask what a policy actually does, not just who pays for it and what incentives it creates.