Karen M. Peterson
Karen Peterson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 13th district | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Ray |
| Member of Clinton City Council | |
| In office January 2014 – December 2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Southern Utah University |
| Website | electkarenpeterson.com |
Karen M. Peterson is an American politician serving as a member of the Utah House of Representatives. As a member of the Republican Party, Peterson represents the 13th district, which covers a portion of Davis County, Utah.
Early life and education
Peterson studied at Utah State University graduating in 2002 with a B.A. in Political Science. She then went to Southern Utah University to receive a M.P.A. in State and Local Government, graduating in 2016.[1][2]
Karen is a cancer survivor and gave her insights to Deseret News.[3]
Career
Politics
Peterson was elected a member of the Clinton City Council in 2013. She resigned in 2020 after being selected as Legislative Liaison for Governor Spencer Cox.[4]
After Paul Ray resigned on December 15, 2021,[5] Peterson was elected during a special election of the Davis County Republican Party.[6]
Peterson announced on December 30, 2025 that she will not seek re-election for the upcoming 2026 election.[7]
Current Committees
Representative Peterson's current committees are:[8]
- Education Interim Committee
- Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
- House Education Committee
- House Political Subdivisions Committee
- House Rules Committee (Vice Chair)
- Transportation Interim Committee
Previous Committees
Previous committees that Representative Peterson has served:
- Health and Human Services Interim Committee
- House Health and Human Services Committee
- House Transportation Committee
- Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee
Election Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Karen Peterson | 7,291 | 61.5% | |
| Democratic | Tab Lyn Uno | 4,571 | 38.5% | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Karen Peterson | 12,391 | 71.9% | |
| Democratic | Lorri Rogers | 4,854 | 28.2% | |
Bill Sponsored Legislation
This is the bill sponsored legislation during the general session of the Utah Legislature. All sponsored legislation can be found at https://le.utah.gov
| Bill | Status |
|---|---|
| HB0251 School Dropout Prevention Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/24/22 |
| HB0270 Parent Access to School Data Comparison | signed by the Governor 3/24/22 |
| HB0290 School Readiness Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/24/22 |
| HB0419 Audit Committee Authority Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/24/22 |
| Bill | Status |
|---|---|
| HB0049 Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Advisory Council Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/13/23 |
| HB0071 Local Health Department Revisions | signed by the Governor 3/15/23 |
| HB0169 Urban Farming Assessment Act Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/14/23 |
| HB0249 Education Related Information Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/13/23 |
| HB0345 Local District Property Tax Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/14/23 |
| HB0394 Grant Funding for Supplemental Educational Opportunities | signed by the Governor 3/14/23 |
| HB0411 Student Behavioral Health Services Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/17/23 |
| HB0445 Vehicle Tracking Amendments | House file for bills not passed |
| HB0478 Educator Evaluation Pilot Program | House file for bills not passed |
| Bill | Status |
|---|---|
| HB0050 State Highway Designation Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/20/24 |
| HB0221 Stipends for Future Educators | signed by the Governor 3/20/24 |
| HB0286 State Aid for Scholarships | signed by the Governor 3/12/24 |
| HB0367 Local Government Fees Modifications | House file for bills not passed |
| HB0438 Higher Education Revisions | signed by the Governor 3/12/24 |
| HB0515 Election Administration Modifications | signed by the Governor 3/21/24 |
| HB0533 Small School District Scale of Operations Formula | House file for bills not passed |
| HB0546 Public Education Modifications | House file for bills not passed |
| HB0575 Urban Farming Assessment Amendments | House file for bills not passed |
| Bill | Status |
|---|---|
| HB0001 Higher Education Base Budget | signed by the Governor 2/14/25 |
| HB0026 Road Jurisdiction Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/26/25 |
| HB0043 Education Program Sunset Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/25/25 |
| HB0051 Higher Education Reporting Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/26/25 |
| HB0204 Stipends for Future Educators Grant Program Amendments | signed by the Governor 3/26/25 |
| HB0265 Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment | signed by the Governor 3/26/25 |
| HB0396 Small School District Scale of Operations Formula | signed by the Governor 3/24/25 |
| HB0454 Local Government Fees Modifications | House file for bills not passed |
| HB0530 Utah Innovation Lab Modifications | signed by the Governor 3/27/25 |
| HB0545 School District Governance Agreements | signed by the Governor 3/27/25 |
Other work
After being elected in December, Peterson started work in January as the Community Development Manager for Sunrise Engineering.[12]
References
- ^ "MPA Alumna New Education Policy Advisor to the Governor". SUU. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ "Karen Peterson, MPA: Leading Through the Legislature". SUU. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "What am I doing here?". Deseret News. August 19, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Utah's Gov.-elect Cox, Lt. Gov. Henderson announce senior staff". KJZZ. December 2, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Dunphey, Kyle (December 2, 2021). "Longtime Utah representative, House chair of redistricting committee, leaves Legislature for state job". Deseret News. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Rodgers, Bethany (December 18, 2021). "Utah governor's legislative liaison Karen Peterson to replace Paul Ray in Utah House". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Beal-Cvetko, Bridger (December 31, 2025). "This Utah Republican is challenging a longtime GOP lawmaker for a seat in the Senate". KSL.com. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
- ^ "Utah House 13th District". house.utleg.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Davis County Election Results" (PDF). www.daviscountyutah.gov. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Utah General Election Results". electionresults.utah.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Davis County Election Results" (PDF). www.daviscountyutah.gov. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
- ^ "Sunrise Engineering Meet the Experts". Sunrise Engineering. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
External links
- Official page at the Utah State Legislature
- Karen Peterson on Project Vote Smart
- Karen Peterson on BallotPedia