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Austin Hepworth
Austin Hepworth (unaffiliated) ran for election for Attorney General of Utah. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Hepworth completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Austin Hepworth was born in Utah. He earned a high school diploma from Cyprus High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah in 2007, and a law degree from the Ave Maria School of Law in 2010. His career experience includes working as an attorney and small business owner.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Utah Attorney General election, 2024
General election
General election for Attorney General of Utah
Derek Brown defeated Rudy Bautista, Michelle Quist, Andrew McCullough, and Austin Hepworth in the general election for Attorney General of Utah on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Derek Brown (R) | 57.8 | 838,445 |
 | Rudy Bautista (D)  | 27.7 | 401,234 | |
 | Michelle Quist (United Utah Party) | 7.2 | 103,831 | |
 | Andrew McCullough (L) | 3.9 | 55,932 | |
 | Austin Hepworth (Unaffiliated) | 3.5 | 50,053 | |
| Total votes: 1,449,495 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Utah
Derek Brown defeated Rachel Terry and Frank Demcy Mylar in the Republican primary for Attorney General of Utah on June 25, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Derek Brown | 43.6 | 178,164 |
 | Rachel Terry | 32.5 | 133,019 | |
 | Frank Demcy Mylar | 23.9 | 97,522 | |
| Total votes: 408,705 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Andrew McCullough advanced from the Libertarian primary for Attorney General of Utah.
United Utah Party primary election
The United Utah Party primary election was canceled. Michelle Quist advanced from the United Utah Party primary for Attorney General of Utah.
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Attorney General of Utah
Rudy Bautista defeated David Carlson in the Democratic convention for Attorney General of Utah on April 27, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rudy Bautista (D) | 64.4 | 511 |
 | David Carlson (D) | 35.6 | 282 | |
| Total votes: 793 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican Convention for Attorney General of Utah
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Rachel Terry in round 2 , and Frank Demcy Mylar in round 2 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
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Total votes: 3,778 |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Utah
Andrew McCullough advanced from the Libertarian convention for Attorney General of Utah on April 20, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Andrew McCullough (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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United Utah Party convention
United Utah Party convention for Attorney General of Utah
Michelle Quist advanced from the United Utah Party convention for Attorney General of Utah on April 20, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Michelle Quist (United Utah Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Hepworth in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Austin Hepworth completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hepworth's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a father of 8 children. I want to leave them a country that enables them to live and experience a life of goodness. I believe strongly in the good principles of the Constitution, as these have helped shape our country, for good. I love our country, and so I have been sorely disappointed by the two main parties. I feel that they have both left principles of truth and sound government.
I also strongly believe that individuals hold the key to solving most of society's problems. The law is needed in some situations, but in many others, the law is simply not capable of solving certain problems. I believe that individuals should be able to pursue private solutions without unnecessary red tape or restriction.
I believe that we can change the culture of politics into something that pursues and upholds truth. Transparency, accountability, and a willingness to honestly discuss difficult issues are key principles needed in politics to help this happen.
My family and I love camping and being outdoors. I enjoy tacos, street hockey, and pickleball. I also write a variety of articles, books, and the like to explore some of the deeper issues that confront us on a daily basis. I am always open for a good discussion on important topics and principles.- Checks and Balances - The Attorney General's office was meant to act as a check and balance in the government system. Just as referees need to be independent in sports to ensure a fair, clean game is played, so too should the Attorney General be independent of the parties. This helps ensure that there are no conflicts and no party favoritism. As a country of laws, the law should be enforced against all who break it, with no politics involved.
- Transparency - Liberty can only exist if average citizens can access and understand the law. Utah does a good job of posting statutory law online, but case law and an actual understanding of the law are lacking. The Attorney General's office should actively educate Utah on the impact of each law and who benefits and loses with each law. This level of transparency will significantly help Utahns in making decisions about what solutions are needed, as many laws actually compound issues or create further obstacles to solutions. Transparency into the law, its impacts, and who it benefits and harms will allow for significantly better decision making to occur, both in the lives of citizens and at the legislative and policy levels.
- Law. Not Politics. - America is a country where law governs. We should not have kings or those who are above the law. When prosecutors only enforce certain laws, the rule of law breaks down, which weakens our entire system. The Attorney General should enforce the law. If the law is bad, it is the legislature's job to fix it. When prosecutors politicize the law, and selectively enforce laws, trust is weakened, the system degrades, and people feel more justified in taking matters into their own hands. Just as the rules should be enforced in sports, so too should they be enforced in America. This creates a situation of high trust and respect, which are two crucial elements that must exist in order for our country to continue strong.
When there are limited resources to undertake all possible enforcement scenarios, the priorities for law enforcement should be established in consultation with the legislature and local law enforcement. If limited resources are an issue though, those issues should be actively raised with the legislature and citizens to promote appropriate funding for law enforcement.
From my experience though, it is necessary to commit to emphasizing constitutional principles, including that of keeping each branch of government in its own domain, promoting limited government (by keeping officials accountable), and working to enforce laws that serve as important checks and balances on individuals, companies and government.
In addition, you can read books I have written that give insights into the way I think, including "The War In Heaven". These are listed on my website at www.austinhepworth.com
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Hepworth’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
The Role of Attorney General To me, the role of the Attorney General is to lead and set the standard for what is expected of others in Utah. The law is powerful in shaping and maintaining culture, and the leaders we select inevitably set the tone for everything else that takes place. If we want our constitutional rights respected, we have to have leaders that take those rights seriously as well. Leaders can make things more transparent, they can act as a voice that raises and articulates issues, and they can help put things in motion that actually change what is taking place. If you do not have a solid idea of what the Attorney General does, you are not alone. This is an office that has yet to approach its potential. Our past Attorney Generals do not proactively work to address many issues that are within their power. I believe that this leaves Utah with many loose ends, and it allows for other government entities to abuse their power with the little attention placed on oversight. If we elect an Attorney General that is the friend of big business and big government, we will find that that trend continues in the law and how the law is enforced. Likewise, if we want to bring government and big business back to a system of healthy checks and balances, we need to elect a leader who will do things differently and who is not part of the big business/big government network. An independent for Attorney General can do so much to help put our State back on a healthy path. We, as people, have the power to tell the parties that we are not okay with the trajectory they are on. We have the power to change quite a bit, simply by the way we vote. I am committed to redefining what is possible, to setting a new standard and expectation for government, and for doing it in a way that respects the humanity and value inside of us all. I would be honored to have your vote and your support in helping Utah reach its potential. Checks and Balances It is important to understand that as voters, we can foster some proper checks and balances by how we vote. There are two positions in particular that have the ability to provide important checks and balances on those in power - the position of State Auditor and the position of Attorney General. There is no reason for us to vote for a Republican to audit the other Republicans. It is a conflict of interest. Wall Street does not allow for those conflicts, and neither should we. An Auditor that is not a Republican is incentivized to provide far more information to us as Utahns. I believe that a non-Republican Auditor would provide far more helpful information and could serve as an important check and balance. Similarly, there is no reason to elect a Republican to enforce laws against the other Republicans. Our elected officials should not be above the law, and electing an independent helps to ensure that the Republican Party is not controlling what takes place in the Attorney General's office. The Attorney General does not make law, and partisan politics should not control who has to follow the law and who does not. I share many conservative values, but I do not personally believe that either the Democrat or Republican Parties are headed in a good direction. Many in Utah feel the same. Voting for an independent sends a clear message to the Parties that they are not representing us well, and it allows for there to be an independent official that can enforce the law equally, regardless of party or political affiliation. Transparency Whenever a law is passed, it changes the actions of others, and it changes what is possible, either for good or for bad. Some laws are helpful, others have negative or unintended effects. I believe that the Attorney General's office should actively educate Utah on how the laws are impacting the State, businesses, churches, communities, families, and individuals. Utah can then fix what is wrong when it understands what is causing the problem. The Attorney General's office is full of many intelligent attorneys who have years of experience with particular laws. By creating a system for them to compile information that is accessible by Utahns, Utahns can better understand their legal obligations and understand what laws need to be adjusted to fix various issues. Additionally, this process will help Utahns understand what parts of politics remain non-transparent, such as the identity of individuals, groups, or large companies that are behind many of the laws that get passed. Until we understand who is pushing laws and why, we will not fully be able to address the real issues as many behind the laws are pushing the passage of new laws for their own personal gain. Transparency is critical to a healthy government and an informed citizenry. I will do everything in my power to bring more transparency to an office that, for the most part, has operated in recent years without much transparency in it at all. Accountability This is not the American way. We should not support the selective enforcement of laws. If a law is bad, that rests on our legislature to change that law, but while it is law it should be enforced. Supposed "sanctuaries", of any sort or for any political ideology, violate the rule of law. Our state and country do not need more dictators who pick and choose what they do and who they want to target with legal proceedings. Our state and country need leaders who will enforce the law to all businesses, politicians, and persons of reputation or power alike. No one is above the law, and we need to stop operating in a manner that hearkens back to the monarchs that our Founders so valiantly fought to escape. I strongly believe that much will change, for the better, when we stop giving certain businesses, people, or groups free passes under the existing laws. I will fully strive to enforce the law without favoritism or deference to a person or business based on political affiliation, amount of money, size of company, etc. Private Solutions/Community From my experience as an attorney, people want the law to solve all problems, even those who profess to be conservative. The political battles are about what laws should be passed instead of the proper role of law. Individuals and communities are fully capable of solving many of the problems that face society. A few examples: Girls Sports - Society currently is facing the issue of whether a person born as a male can participate on a girls' sports team. Both sides want the law to solve the problem. However, if a law is passed, either banning participation or allowing participation, the law is picking winners and losers. The issues could be solved though by enabling private solutions to sports. There is no reason our government, through schools, should run the bulk of sports programs in our state. If the system and laws are changed to facilitate the ability of private solutions, the free market could present options for sports. Some groups may choose to form all boys or all girls leagues. Others may choose to form leagues that incorporate boys, girls, transgender, etc. into teams that can function well together. There are hosts of private options available to address these issues, and by changing some of the laws that perpetuate government involvement in sports, we can create a free market system that addresses many of the issues without needing to have a winner or a loser. Health Care - Many agree that our healthcare system is struggling or broken. Every time we pass more laws to fix it, we just make it worse. The law is one of the main underlying reasons that our healthcare system is struggling, and, if we return the system to a proper foundation of law (one that has the proper balance of law to protect while giving enough flexibility to providers), the system can quickly thrive again, healthcare costs can go down, and outcomes can improve. Health is simply not a one-size-fits-all service, and there is no way for the law to address or account for all of the variation that is needed. I fully support the repeal of laws that are hurting our state and our citizens. As Attorney General, I am committed to help highlight the laws that cause issues, the ways that private solutions can solve the problems, and the proper role of law in creating the system that allows private solutions to address the myriad of problems that are best suited to the care of individuals and communities. Constitution I have worked hard as an attorney to support and protect constitutional rights. I have advised many individuals and groups on these rights. I value the Utah Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, and I will stand strong in working to maintain these two foundational pieces of our government. States Rights Currently though, the federal government tries to solve problems with a one-size-fits-all approach for the entire country. This model is not appropriate, as it denies the reality of local culture and community and a wide variety of needs across those communities. I oppose federal government involvement in things that were not set out in the Constitution. Examples include: -Lands in Utah - In most situations, Utah should be able to control the lands within its own state, and most land under the Bureau of Land Management's control should be under Utah's control instead. The federal government's control of lands in a state should be limited to things like military bases and federal highways to facilitate interstate commerce. I also believe that national designations of land can be appropriate for preserving natural wonders like Zion National Park, but I believe that there should be a check and balance process in place where states have more say in the process as not all national designations are appropriate. I fully believe though, that with any national designation, the landowners whose property is affected must be fully compensated for their land, as currently the Federal government does not treat the land as a taking for constitutional purposes. -Education - Culture and community greatly affect what the educational needs are in states, and they affect what curriculum is or isn't proper. Federal involvement is only appropriate to ensure that basic constitutional rights are protected, such as ensuring that equal protection of the law is followed and groups are not excluded from educational opportunities or otherwise improperly discriminated against. -Corporate Transparency Act - I highly oppose the federal government's requirement that all small business owners register with FinCEN in order to conduct their business. Small business owners are not criminals and should not be treated as such. It is fully the domain of the state to determine matters of corporate ownership and control. -Healthcare - Each state should be free to craft its own solutions to healthcare, and a federal system denies the realities of the impact of culture and community on healthcare. Healthcare is not a matter of interstate commerce; it is a matter that should be left to the states. Ability to Petition Government for Relief To me, the Attorney General's office should play the role of helping to ensure that government agencies and government officials stay within the bounds proscribed by law. Citizens need ways to ask for assistance in dealing with situations where government agencies or officials exceed their jurisdiction. I feel that the Attorney General's office should work on implementing mechanisms within the office that allow citizens to have assistance in correcting wrongs perpetuated by government overreach or outright denials of constitutional rights. This will require some collaboration with the legislature for funding and staffing, but it is a principle I am committed to work on and to raise awareness of the many situations where rights are ignored by government actors. In addition, having transparency and the ability to better understand the law will also aid citizens in being better able to protect their rights and to allow the law to govern. A few examples of situations where government officials or actors exceed or have exceeded their jurisdiction or legal authority include: -"No Trespass" letters from school districts. School districts are "trespassing" parents and sending them a letter saying that they will be arrested if they step foot on school property again. These parents have children in the school system who participate in sports and other events. Parents have no recourse other than to file a lawsuit challenging the trespass letter, and this is a denial of due process and basic parental rights. If a person is a true threat, then it may be permissible to ban them from school property, but for many of the parents, they are not a physical threat and a complete ban is not appropriate. School districts should be required to hold a hearing fairly quickly after issuing a "no trespass" letter to provide basic protections of due process and to require the school district to present evidence of an actual physical threat. -Closure of public meetings. Sometimes, being a government official is a thankless job, and there are issues that will upset people regardless of how the issue is resolved. While it isn't fun to listen to the public and to give them an opportunity to speak, it is a basic right that we need to strongly protect, along with an obligation of civility while speaking. School boards, cities, counties, etc. should not be allowed to close meetings that are required to be open to the public, and there should be consequences for doing so. For example, Alpine School District closed a meeting that was required to be open to the public, and Utah agreed that they violated the law, but they imposed no consequence for doing so. A law is meaningless if it is not enforced, and, as the ability to participate in government processes are an important right, we need to actively maintain those rights. -Cities with business license requirements for home-based businesses. Utah passed a law that allowed individuals to operate a business in their home without paying for a business license unless the business activity "materially exceeds the offsite impact of the primary residential use alone". In other words, if the business does not materially change the nature of the neighborhood, no fee can be collected by cities. Despite this, many cities have taken a very aggressive approach and still communicate to residents that they have to pay a licensing fee if a delivery is made to their home, an employee visits their home, or they sell something that incurs sales tax, among others. The cities are not being honest in their approach to this law, and residents have very little they can do other than to challenge the actions in court. This is not an appropriate way for cities to regulate, and the Attorney General can and should help to keep government entities in the proper bounds set by law. Religious Freedom Many of the current religious rights that exist are found in statute, not in the constitution. Due to this, it is easier to attack and erode the protections, and trends in society are doing so. I fully believe that all individuals operate according to systems of faith and beliefs, and that we need to have a healthy respect for a person's faith and beliefs. The ability to believe and to assemble with others who similarly believe are foundational parts of our country and our society, and we must do what is necessary to help keep the foundation strong for all to believe and act according to their beliefs. The Attorney General should help draw attention to the evolution of case precedent with religious freedom and other constitutional rights, such as the freedom of speech, assembly, due process, etc. The Attorney General should also be proactive in helping educate Utahns on what they can do to help preserve various constitutional rights.[2] |
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| —Austin Hepworth’s campaign website (2024)[3] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Attorney General of Utah |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 2, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Austin Hepworth’s campaign website, “Attorney General,” accessed September 25, 2024
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