Chris Wilson (Utah)

Chris Wilson

Republican Party

Utah State Senate District 2

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

2

Prior offices

Utah State Senate District 25

Predecessor: Lyle Hillyard

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Compensation

Base salary

$293.55/legislative day

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Utah State University, 1983

Personal

Birthplace

Logan, Utah

Religion

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Chris Wilson (Republican Party) is a member of the Utah State Senate, representing District 2. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Wilson (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Utah State Senate to represent District 2. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Chris Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Utah State University in 1983. Wilson's career experience includes owning Wilson Motor Company.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Wilson was assigned to the following committees:

• Senate Health and Human Services Committee
• Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee

2021-2022

Wilson was assigned to the following committees:

• Senate Health and Human Services Committee
• Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2024

See also: Utah State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Utah State Senate District 2

Incumbent Chris Wilson defeated Nancy Huntly in the general election for Utah State Senate District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Wilson (R)	69.8	32,995
		Nancy Huntly (D)	30.2	14,262

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 47,257
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Nancy Huntly advanced from the Democratic primary for Utah State Senate District 2.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Chris Wilson advanced from the Republican primary for Utah State Senate District 2.

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Utah State Senate District 2

Nancy Huntly advanced from the Democratic convention for Utah State Senate District 2 on April 27, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Nancy Huntly (D)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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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Republican convention

Republican convention for Utah State Senate District 2

Incumbent Chris Wilson advanced from the Republican convention for Utah State Senate District 2 on April 27, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Chris Wilson (R)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= 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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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wilson in this election.

Pledges

Wilson signed the following pledges.

• U.S. Term Limits

2020

See also: Utah State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Utah State Senate District 25

Chris Wilson defeated Nancy Huntly in the general election for Utah State Senate District 25 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Wilson (R)	71.4	32,677
		Nancy Huntly (D)	28.6	13,075

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 45,752
= 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 primary election

Republican primary for Utah State Senate District 25

Chris Wilson defeated incumbent Lyle Hillyard in the Republican primary for Utah State Senate District 25 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Wilson	62.7	11,283
		Lyle Hillyard	37.3	6,725

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,008
= 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.

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Utah State Senate District 25

Nancy Huntly advanced from the Democratic convention for Utah State Senate District 25 on April 25, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Nancy Huntly (D)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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 Utah State Senate District 25

Incumbent Lyle Hillyard and Chris Wilson advanced from the Republican convention for Utah State Senate District 25 on April 25, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Lyle Hillyard (R)
✔		Chris Wilson (R)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Chris Wilson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Chris Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wilson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong resident of Cache Valley and a third-generation owner of a small family business, Wilson Motor, which has been supporting our local economy from the same location on Main Street in downtown Logan for 77 years. I attended K-12 in the Logan school district before completing a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a finance emphasis, from Utah State University. I have served on the New Car Dealers of Utah Association Board of Directors for the past six years, including a term as President. Locally, I serve on the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors, Economic Development Alliance, and Legislative Affairs Committee as co-chair of the Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee. In addition to these formal positions, I have a lifelong commitment to, and am actively involved in, service throughout our community. My wife, Kiersten, and I have a blended family of ten children and fourteen grandchildren. I care deeply about our community and want to ensure that our concerns are represented, our values and quality of life are preserved, and vital rights and liberties are protected; including Second Amendment rights and the right to life for the unborn.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Economic Vitality: Under my ownership, our family business, Wilson Motor, survived the 2009 recession and thrived in the subsequent decade, preparing us for the current economic challenge. I have developed the skills to weather the storms of economic uncertainty. I strongly believe in the power of bringing people together to solve complex issues. My work with the Cache Chamber of Commerce has uniquely positioned me to lead this initiative under the mantle of District 25 Senator. Together we will strengthen the economy and plan appropriately for growth - bringing higher paying jobs to northern Utah, while at the same time maintaining the quality of life and values important to the individual communities within our district.
• Responsible Governance: As a third-generation owner of a small business, I know the importance of low taxes and regulations. Furthermore, I will not support increased taxes on food or gas. I support increased accountability and transparency in government. I am free from political entanglements and will not yield to special interests. I believe in term limits and will not personally profit from public service. I will guard against government overreach and work to protect vital rights and liberties.
• Education: Current and future generations need a leader who will listen and implement policy changes that impact today as well as the next 30 years. There is no better investment we can make than in providing our teachers with the resources they need to implement innovative, personalized ways of teaching and preparing our children for the jobs of the future. Local control and supporting parent's choice are more important now than ever before as we apply the lessons we've learned from the COVID-19 pandemic effects on education.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economy - I have the knowledge and experience to keep the economy moving and provide security and jobs for northern Utah families.

Lower taxes - I'm committed to fiscal responsibility, ensuring accountability, lower taxes, and less government.

Education - I believe educating our children is the best investment we can make in our future. I support local control, parent's choice, and channeling resources to teachers.

Vital rights and liberties - I am determined to protect vital rights and liberties, and I am a strong defender of the right to life and the Second Amendment.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Being able and willing to listen to my constituents, represent their values and concerns, and vote according to my conscience, the Constitution, and my constituents.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I don't believe the goal of public service is creating a legacy for yourself. My goal is to serve the citizens of northern Utah in such a way that when I finish my terms in office, our state and community will have a thriving economy, be better positioned for the population growth in northern Utah while maintaining the values and quality of life that are important to our district, and that there will be several qualified individuals ready and willing to take their turn in office because the foundation of respect and service will have been laid.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

When I was twelve years old, I started taking care of the lawn and grounds around Wilson Motor before I received the exciting promotion to "lot boy" when I was fourteen with the responsibilities of sweeping the asphalt parking lot and washing cars.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe its most important for legislators to understand their community and the people that live there. As a lifelong resident of northern Utah, a third-generation owner of a small family business in downtown Logan, and countless hours of service in the community, I feel that I have developed the relationships that will allow me to best understand and represent the values of the citizens of Cache and Rich Counties. I do, however, feel that my experiences and service on the New Car Dealers of Utah Board and Cache Chamber of Commerce will better position me to be an effective senator.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

The governor and the state legislature need to work together. The legislature is the policy maker and the governor implements the policies. Maintaining these roles is vital for the continued success of our state's economy.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. As I was serving on the Board and as President of the New Car Dealers of Utah, I was fortunate to meet and develop relationships with a number of current legislators. Collegiality is imperative to success as a state senator. I am looking forward to building on these friendships for future success in serving the people of northern Utah.

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 finance summary

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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.

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Chris Wilson campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Utah State Senate District 2	Won general	$291,193	$-67,998
2020	Utah State Senate District 25	Won general	$134,207	N/A**
Grand total			$425,400	$-67,998
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Utah

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Utah scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 16 to March 1. Americans for Prosperity Utah Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Utah Cultural Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to arts and the humanities. Utah Education Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 17 to March 3. Americans for Prosperity Utah Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Utah Cultural Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to arts and the humanities. Utah Education Association House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 18 to March 4. Americans for Prosperity Utah Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Utah Cultural Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to arts and the humanities. Utah Education Association House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 19 to March 5. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Leap Forward Legislators are scored on their votes on bills the organization chose to evaluate. Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Utah Education Association House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

See also

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Candidate

Utah State Senate District 2

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Utah State Senate District 2

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Personal

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Utah State Senate District 2 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Lyle Hillyard (R)	Utah State Senate District 25 2021-2023	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Utah State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Kirk Cullimore

Minority Leader:Luz Escamilla

Senators

District 1

Scott Sandall (R)

District 2

Chris Wilson (R)

District 3

John Johnson (R)

District 4

Calvin Musselman (R)

District 5

Ann Millner (R)

District 6

Jerry Stevenson (R)

District 7

Stuart Adams (R)

District 8

Todd Weiler (R)

District 9

Jennifer Plumb (D)

District 10

Luz Escamilla (D)

District 11

Daniel Thatcher (F)

District 12

Karen Kwan (D)

District 13

Nate Blouin (D)

District 14

Stephanie Pitcher (D)

District 15

Kathleen Riebe (D)

District 16

Wayne Harper (R)

District 17

Lincoln Fillmore (R)

District 18

Dan McCay (R)

District 19

Kirk Cullimore (R)

District 20

Ronald Winterton (R)

District 21

Brady Brammer (R)

District 22

Heidi Balderree (R)

District 23

Keith Grover (R)

District 24

Keven Stratton (R)

District 25

Mike McKell (R)

District 26

David Hinkins (R)

District 27

Derrin Owens (R)

District 28

Evan Vickers (R)

District 29

Don Ipson (R)

Republican Party (22)

Democratic Party (6)

Forward Party (1)