Chris Wharton
Salt Lake City Council District 3
Tenure
Term ends
Years in position
Elections and appointments
Personal
Contact
Chris Wharton is a member of the Salt Lake City Council in Utah, representing District 3. He assumed office in 2018. His current term ends on January 5, 2026.
Wharton is running for re-election to the Salt Lake City Council to represent District 3 in Utah. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Wharton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Chris Wharton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received a bachelor's degree from Westminster College in 2006 and a J.D from the University of Utah in 2009. Wharton's professional experience includes being an attorney.[1]
Wharton has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1][2]
- Wharton O'Brien PLLC
- Equality Utah
- Utah Democratic Party
- Salt Lake City’s Human Rights Commission
- Utah Pride Center Board of Directors
- LC-Utah Committee for the Olympic & Paralympic Games Governing Board
- LGBT & Allied Lawyers of Utah
- Friends of the Salt Lake City Cemetery Board
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Salt Lake City, Utah (2025)
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
Endorsements
To view Wharton's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2021
See also: City elections in Salt Lake City, Utah (2021)
General election
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Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
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Total votes: 6,053
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. |
Endorsements
To view Wharton's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chris Wharton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wharton'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’m a sixth-generation Salt Laker and a dedicated advocate for District Three. I’m an attorney, business owner, and community leader, operating a small law practice. I’ve served on the Council since 2017, and have held leadership positions as the Chair in 2020 and 2025.
I live in the Marmalade District with my husband, daughter, two Corgis, and two adopted stray cats. I’m running for re-election to continue my work protecting our historic neighborhoods, expanding access to parks, defending local control, and ensuring SLC remains a leader in sustainability and innovation. I believe leadership is about listening, solving problems, and delivering results. That’s what I’ve done thus far, and what I’ll continue to do for District 3 and our city.
- City growth: I believe Salt Lake City is at a critical juncture; we’re evolving into a thriving city. Whether it’s negotiating with developers to keep the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, while securing funds for affordable housing, or working with neighborhoods to preserve their character while allowing for responsible growth, I’ve shown that I can bring people together and achieve results. The transition our city faces provides the opportunity to shape our identity and future, and I’ll be a leader to bring our city forward.
- Fighting for fairness: I’ve experienced my own share of bullying growing up, so I’m committed to standing up for every resident in our District. Furthermore, I know the power it takes to stand up for our city against state interference, and I’ll continually advocate for local control and protect our city from falling into marginalized political forces. Residents should lead our city, and I’ll always be a strong leader to ensure our concerns and priorities don’t fall prey to petty politics.
- Connection to Salt Lake City: As a sixth-generation Salt-Laker, I feel a responsibility to preserve and enhance our city’s unique qualities as a blue dot in a red state. I believe Salt Lake City showcases the best of Utah, from cultural vibrancy to community spirit. I’ve continually been an advocate for our city, as a fighter for local control, and a champion for sustainable and inclusive policies. I’d be honored to continue serving our city on the Council.
In my time on the Council thus far, I’ve taken pride in prioritizing sustainable, affordable, and inclusive policy initiatives for Salt Lake City. I’ve held an unwavering commitment to improve air quality, defend our watershed, protect public lands, and address the effects of global climate change at the local level. I’ve championed affordable housing investments and increased diverse housing options across Salt Lake City, and worked to address systemic issues for our unsheltered neighbors. I’ve increased accessibility across the city and fought to ensure all communities feel welcome and at home, and I’ll continue to keep working for us on these issues and those to come.
I believe the core responsibility in serving on the City Council is to be a strong leader, listener, and advocate for each resident. Our key role is in serving the will of the community and ensuring our city operates on a foundation of progress, accessibility, and inclusivity. In this role, I’ve worked tirelessly for our community to be a leader committed to fighting for the future of Salt Lake City. District 3 is unique with its historic neighborhoods and tight-knit community, and requires an advocate who understands the needs of residents and anticipates challenges that may arise, and reacts accordingly. I’ve been that leader, and am committed to continuing to be a strong advocate and listener for our community. From securing funding for affordable housing and historic preservation to standing up against state overreach and advocating for marginalized communities, I have always upheld my responsibility in this role, fighting for a more inclusive, proactive, and just Salt Lake City, while prioritizing the needs and challenges facing our own District 3.
As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I hope to inspire others in the community to get involved. I know the pain of being bullied for who you are, and I am proud of the accomplishments I’ve grown to achieve: running my own law practice, serving on the City Council, and raising a family. These are things that seemed difficult as a kid just trying to figure out how to be himself, and I hope others can see my story of resilience and success as motivation to become involved, at any level in the community.
The City Council is uniquely positioned to honor community requests, anticipate changes and challenges, and keep residents, stakeholders, community groups, and businesses involved in city processes. The Council keeps everything working in harmony to keep the city moving forward. The day-to-day operations of being a Council Member include connecting with residents to address questions, concerns, ideas, and feedback, tracking timelines for projects across the city, coordinating with other councilors to address city-wide issues, and bringing forth solutions for communities. This office is a unique experience to serve the community from my own neighborhood across the whole of Salt Lake City, and it’s an honor each day to do the work that helps drive our city onwards.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Salt Lake City Council Members Sarah Young, Victoria Petro, Darin Mano, Alejandro Puy, and Dan Dugan, Salt Lake County Council Members Suzanne Harrison, Natalie Pinkney, and Jiro Johnson, former Congressman Ben McAdams, and more. I’ve been endorsed by the following organizations: Salt Lake City Firefighters Local 81, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 3, Equality Utah, Stewardship Utah, the Central Federation of Labor, Democratic Municipal Officials, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and more.
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.
2021
Chris Wharton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wharton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Chris is a dedicated community activist, a conscientious small business owner, and a leading family and civil rights attorney. Before he was elected to the Salt Lake City Council in 2017, Chris served two terms on the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission, where he helped establish the state’s first comprehensive non-discrimination ordinances for housing and employment. Chris also served on the Utah Pride Center Board of Directors. He has led advocacy efforts for the equal treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals and families before the state legislature, the Utah Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
After working several years as an associate attorney, Chris opened his own firm focused on affordable legal services for clients who could not otherwise afford counsel. Chris also serves as a court-appointed guardian for vulnerable children and has donated hundreds of hours of service to the ACLU of Utah, the Rainbow Law Clinic, Equality Utah, and the Utah State Bar.
Chris also serves as a representative of Salt Lake City on the Utah League of Cities and Towns Legislative Policy Committee, the Salt Lake City - Utah Committee for the Olympic Games, and the Friends of the Salt Lake City Cemetery Board. - The depth and breadth of my experience provides a critically needed voice on the Salt Lake City Council.
- I have utilized this experience to serve my community while addressing some of the biggest challenges Salt Lake City has faced.
- I am so excited to build on the work I've done on the city council to make Salt Lake City safer, more equitable, and welcoming to all.
I am passionate about sustainability, housing and homelessness, transportation, investing in arts and parks, historic preservation, community safety and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Salt Lake City is the capitol city and the largest city in Utah. It's a cultural, legal, economic, and governmental hub for the state and the region. Along with the Mayor, the Salt Lake City Council helps set the political agenda for the city and ensures the city continues to thrive.
I look up to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Harvey Milk for their advocacy in gender equality and LGBTQ+ visibility.
The movie Milk staring Sean Penn.
Patience and a desire to serve are the most important characteristics for an elected official.
I am patient, hardworking, and have high ethical standards.
To represent the interests of Salt Lake City Council District 3 and advance the interests of the city as a whole.
I would like to make Salt Lake City a more inclusive, equitable, and thriving city for future generations.
I remember the end of the cold war, even though I didn't fully understand what it meant at the time. I was 8 years old.
My first job was working as a bagger at Smiths Grocery Store. I worked there for a year.
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, because of my love of history and politics.
I am an openly gay man who has fought for equal rights and protections under the law in a state dominated by a political super-majority that is too often contrary to those values.
There are many powers and responsibilities that the City Council has that I wish more people were aware of, but there are also a lot of limitations. Regardless of the topic, all of our formal meetings are open to the public, and any individual can come and speak before the council on the issues that impact them most.
Having some understanding of the city operations and the services that we provide is critical. Whether that's being involved in the community councils or serving on one of our boards and commissions, having some prior experience is extremely beneficial.
Understanding the structure of city government and the powers and limitations of the city council is critical. Councilmembers also need to be able to listen to resident feedback on a full spectrum of issues and opinions and find a workable compromise to deliver city services.
Why should you never tell a taco a secret?
Because they tend to spill the beans.
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.
See also
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 5, 2021
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2025
