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Jennie Ward

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Jennie Ward

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Elections and appointments
Last convention

April 25, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Utah State University

Graduate

University of North Alabama, 2009

Personal
Birthplace
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Religion
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Contact

Jennie Ward (Republican Party) ran for election to the Utah House of Representatives to represent District 66. She lost in the Republican convention on April 25, 2020.

Ward completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jennie Ward was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She earned an undergraduate degree from Utah State University and the University of Georgia in 2000. She earned a graduate degree from the University of North Alabama in 2009. Ward's career experience includes working as a stay-at-home mom and as a mental health counselor. She has been affiliated with the Utah PTA.[1]

Elections

2020

See also: Utah House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Utah House of Representatives District 66

Jefferson Burton won election in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 66 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jefferson Burton
Jefferson Burton (R)
 
100.0
 
17,515

Total votes: 17,515
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Utah House of Representatives District 66

Jefferson Burton defeated Kari Malkovich in the Republican primary for Utah House of Representatives District 66 on June 30, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jefferson Burton
Jefferson Burton
 
60.0
 
4,687
Kari Malkovich
 
40.0
 
3,121

Total votes: 7,808
Candidate Connection = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican convention

Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 66

The following candidates ran in the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 66 on April 25, 2020.


Candidate Connection = 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

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

I am a wife, mom to two wonderful children, and passionate about the role each person plays in government. My hobbies include reading, playing the piano, spending time with my family, and obsessively listening to audiobooks.
  • I will fight to ensure decisions regarding growth and similar issues in our area are left up to individual communities and not dictated from the state legislature.
  • I will fight for education and mental health resources, including funding, for the children in our area.
  • I will defend the US Constitution, including the 2nd Amendment.
One of my main goals is to get at least one full-time mental health professional in each school with the sole purpose of providing counseling services for students. Easy access to mental health resources is one of the biggest challenges our students and families face. Having these professionals easily available will help individuals, families, and communities.
In the political arena I look up to former Utah Speaker of the House, Becky Lockhart. She was fearless as a leader and broke down many social barriers to become the first female speaker of the house in Utah. She was kind, compassionate, and fair. I admired her ability to look at every side of an issue, consider what was needed by those she represented (not just for herself), and then voted accordingly. When looking at issues my goal is to view them from all sides, like Becky. Perspective is powerful I know the more I can learn from those I represent, the better decisions I can make as a representative.

On a more personal level I look up to my mom. I admire how she is willing to do anything for her family and always found ways to be herself while working to make our lives better. I gained my love of volunteering from her and she encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone to explore and do new things. Everything she does is for her family.
I believe integrity is the most important principle for any leader, particularly those in an elected capacity. If this characteristic is in place, honesty, transparency, and a desire to do good will naturally fall in line. Leaders need to have empathy and a desire to help while having the ability to balance what needs to be done for the greater good.
I am passionate about helping others be involved in government. I know how to listen and understand challenges, followed up with the ability to work with others to put plans in motion to affect change.

I love learning and know the power in really diving into an issue to understand all sides and perspectives. Only then can a decision be made about how to proceed, particularly when the results will be far-reaching.

I hold family values close. The family unit is the backbone of our society. We need to work to preserve the rights of parents to educate and raise their children without unnecessary governmental influence.
A member of the House of Representatives must first answer to their constituents and to make sure their concerns are heard and acted upon, as appropriate. They must also work to maintain the quality of life we enjoy in our state. Communication is key. I believe in over-communication and sending information out in as many forms as possible.
I would like to show that anyone can be an elected official. Professional experience isn't required. Political connections aren't required. Just a desire to serve. Women have a powerful responsibility and I hope my actions will help others find the courage to step up.
I have fuzzy memories of the end of the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Space Shuttle Columbia launching in 1981. I was five. I remember very clearly when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986. I was 10.
As soon as I turned 16, I began working at Burger King. I worked there for about 9 months before I found a job with better hours and pay.
I am obsessed with reading and love to listen to audiobooks. While I like to read pretty much anything, I prefer good old fiction. I have so many favorites and would never be able to narrow things down to just one, so here are a few at the top of my list:

Anything by Nichole Van
Anything by Colleen Houck
The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

And million more!
As much as I love reading, I've never come across a character I would choose to be. I love the life I have and wouldn't trade my experiences or what I have for anything. The best part of books and movies is that it gives us a chance to escape from our reality for a short time. For me, that escape is enough and I'm always happy to come home.
"I Found" by Amber Run

This is a beautiful, calming song about finding good things where you don't expect them.
I have always struggled with facing my insecurities. It's natural to be anxious about new things and experiences. I am working to overcome my desire to hide under the table. I think in this case, I am proving to myself that I can do hard things.
The biggest difference is the size and length of term for each seat. The House of Representatives serves for two years and represents and smaller geographic area. The Senators serve for four years and represent a larger area.

The important difference between the two in terms of responsibilities can be seen if impeachment charges are presented. The House is responsible for impeachment proceedings and for producing articles of impeachment. The Senate then holds the trial.
Absolutely not! The beauty of our governmental system, particularly in Utah, is that anyone who meets the requirements set out in the constitution can hold public office. Government works best when a variety of backgrounds and interests are included when making decisions. If our representatives only came from backgrounds of politics and governments, they would not have the interests of farmers, students, professionals, blue-collar workers, the unemployed, the elderly, etc. at the forefront of their minds. We need a a sampling of as many backgrounds as possible in the process of creating and passing laws.
Utah is facing rapid growth! Unfortunately, we also have a finite amount of land to develop thanks to our beautiful mountains. This has caused housing costs to increase making it difficult for many families to own homes. We need to develop a realistic, sustainable, and ethical growth plan for the Wasatch Front.
Building relationships with anyone you work with is essential. Regardless of the job, everyone needs help with something at some point. The same is true in government. We can't do everything on our own. Working with other legislators can help pass important legislation and learn about issues around the state. While a representative's first responsibility is to their constituents, having the ear and knowledge from others is important when making decisions.
I would like to part of committees dealing with education and mental health issues.
I have always admired Becky Lockhart and Deidre Henderson. Both have shown it's possible for women to serve at the state level, raise a family, and hold true to their values.
A woman was working through a difficult divorce that was the result of a marriage full of domestic violence. During the divorce process, her husband would frequently miss deadlines, not turn in all of the required paperwork, and just ignore court dates. Each time he did this, the court dates had to be rescheduled, usually adding another 3-4 months onto everything. Essentially, a process that could have taken six months to a year turned in to more than 5 years. He used the legal system and loopholes as a way to maintain some control over his estranged wife and kids. I believe there needs to be a way for women in these situations to obtain a divorce without checking off all the boxes first.

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

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 2, 2020


Current members of the Utah House of Representatives
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Majority Leader:Casey Snider
Minority Leader:Angela Romero
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