Mark Shepherd (Utah)

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Mark Shepherd

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last convention

April 25, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Salt Lake City, Utah

Religion

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Profession

Real Estate Broker

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Personal X

Mark Shepherd (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Utah's 1st Congressional District. He lost in the Republican convention on April 25, 2020.

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

Biography

Mark Shepherd was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He attended Brigham Young University and the University of New Mexico. Shepherd's professional expereince includes working as a real estate broker. He has been certified as a residential specialist, military relocation specialist, and ePro.

Elections

2020

See also: Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020

Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)

Utah's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Utah District 1

Blake Moore defeated Darren Parry, Taylor Lee, and Mikal Smith in the general election for U.S. House Utah District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Blake Moore (R)	69.5	237,988
		Darren Parry (D)	30.4	104,194
		Taylor Lee (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	157
	Submit photo	Mikal Smith (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	12

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 342,351
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 1

Darren Parry defeated Jamie Cheek in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Utah District 1 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Darren Parry	50.9	11,667
		Jamie Cheek	49.1	11,242

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,909
= 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

• David Liggera (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 1

Blake Moore defeated Bob Stevenson, Kerry Gibson, and Katie Witt in the Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 1 on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Blake Moore	30.9	39,260
		Bob Stevenson	28.6	36,288
		Kerry Gibson	23.6	29,991
		Katie Witt	16.8	21,317

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 126,856
= 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

• Cory Green (R)
• Taylor Lee (R)

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 1

Jamie Cheek and Darren Parry advanced from the Democratic convention for U.S. House Utah District 1 on April 25, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Jamie Cheek (D)
✔		Darren Parry (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 U.S. House Utah District 1

The following candidates ran in the Republican convention for U.S. House Utah District 1 on April 25, 2020.

		Candidate
		Tina Cannon (R)
	Submit photo	JC DeYoung (R)
		Douglas Durbano (R)
		Chadwick H. Fairbanks III (R)
✔		Kerry Gibson (R)
	Submit photo	Catherine Brenchley Hammon (R)
		Zachary Hartman (R)
✔		Blake Moore (R)
		Mark Shepherd (R)
	Submit photo	Howard Wallack (R)

---

	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.

Campaign themes

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released March 17, 2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mark Shepherd completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shepherd'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 was born in Salt Lake City, grew up in Albuquerque, NM and I've lived in Clearfield for the past 22 years.

I served nearly 9 years on the Clearfield Planning Commission before being elected to the City Council in 2007. After 6 years on the Council, I was elected as Clearfield City's Mayor in 2013 and am now in his second term in that position.

I love our military members and veterans! I served as the Honorary Commander for the 388th Maintenance Group for 3.5 years and then for the 466th Fighter Squadron for another 2.5 years. I was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) which has responsibility for development of Falcon Hill at HAFB as well as other locations in Utah. I also serve as a Board member on the Utah Defense Alliance. I just completed my second term as the Chairman of the Military Communities Council for the National League of Cities where I meet regularly with Mayors from across the nation whose communities are adjacent to a military installation.

I've been married to my wife Tammie for the past 31 years. We are the parents of seven children and three grandchildren. In my "spare" time, you'll likely find me at a Real Salt Lake soccer game, searching for my ball at one of the local golf courses or at the gun range. Whichever activity that day might bring, you will almost always find one of my children by my side.

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?

• We must get our budget in line and reduce the ever-growing deficit. We need to look at every dollar we are spending and make difficult cuts to make this happen. I will bring Utah's fiscally conservative values to Washington.
• I will defend Hill AFB at the highest levels and advocate for future missions, our active duty military and our veterans. Hill is the Utah's largest single-site employer and a $3.9B economic engine for northern Utah.
• I will work to find a fair solution to stop the rising costs of healthcare and education and present solutions to reduce the growing student debt.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We have an infrastructure problem. As a Mayor, I understand the desperate need to reimagine and modernize the nation's infrastructure. With thousands of jobs set to come to northern Utah, we must address this now, not later. We must ensure we have the means to provide roads, utilities and other infrastructure to meet the growing demand. I will support legislation that will provide a comprehensive infrastructure package and reward those cities and states who provide innovative solutions.

We have an immigration problem, but we are also a nation of immigrants. The nation was founded by immigrants and enriched by the diversity of its immigrants, many of whom have come here to escape religious persecution, war, genocide, and tyranny in hopes of sharing in freedom and prosperity through hard work. We must find balance between the obligation to protect our borders and the citizens of this nation and the ideals the Statue of Liberty represents.

We are at a crossroads in American history around the future of work. The pace of change is rapid, and we must examine the trends shaping the workforce of tomorrow, including artificial intelligence and automation, the changing models around freedom and flexibility in the workplace and the impact of the gig economy. The skill transitions are going to be quite substantial, and many will lack the skills necessary to thrive in a changing workplace. We need to de-stigmatize the trades to ensure we have a skilled workforce.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

There are a myriad of people, both famous and not who have inspired me through the years. From a political standpoint, Lincoln is my hero, but I could also put Jefferson in that class. Lincoln was a great example of leadership through crisis, and his response to the crisis shaped the future of the nation.

Outside of the political world, there are two men, one historical and the other fictional, who shaped my life. The first was the priest from Victor Hugo's 'Les Miserables.' When Jean Valjean was caught stealing from the priest, he could have been sent back to jail for the rest of his life, but the priest not only refused to condemn him for stealing his silverware, he gave him his candlesticks. This one action changed the trajectory of Jean Valjean's life and gave him hope. The priest cared about the individual. I read that book when I was 18 years old, and his example changed the trajectory of my life as well. It instilled in me a desire to focus on the individual and to do good to those around me.

The second was Viktor Frankl who wrote 'Man's search for meaning.' While he spoke in depth about our ability to choose our response to stimulus, he also spoke about responsibility. When we have liberty, we also have responsibility. We have a responsibility to lift others and to care for that which provides us our liberty - the nation in which we live. Viktor added to my sense of responsibility to serve others and to give back in the form of public service.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo and 'Man's Search For Meaning' by Viktor Frankl.

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

Honesty. Integrity. Serving for the right reason.

I've been asked constantly who I am running against, and my answer is simple: no one. I am running for the principles I stand for and to support and defend the values and beliefs of those I will represent. It isn't about power or a title, it's about people. REAL people living their lives at home and expecting that their Representative has their best interest at the forefront of all he does. They need to know that he will do the things he says and fulfill the commitments he made during his campaign.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I truly care for those I serve and want to improve the lives of those around me. As a Mayor, I have told people many times that there is an old adage that elected officials use which says they want to leave the place better than when they found it. That has never been my goal. I don't want to simply leave it better as that doesn't take much of an effort. I want a complete overhaul. I want people to know when they left the previous city and entered mine. And I want them to recognize when they leave. I want my residents to have an improved quality of life than they did before I took office, and I want them to be proud of where they live. I used to do everything I could to make people happy, but it killed me to find that there was no way to make everyone happy. By making one person happy, I would inevitably make another unhappy. I decided my only option was to make sure they know I care even if I can't resolve their issue or make them happy.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe we need someone who truly represents those who elected him; not just those who donated big dollars to the campaign, but ALL of the people. That means those who supported him and those who may have voted for someone else. He must be reachable. I have used the same cell phone number since I was appointed to the Planning Commission. It is how people know they get in touch with me. They can call or text me, and I will respond. It is my commitment to continue to use that same phone number as a Congressman.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was Watergate. I was 6 when it all began, and I hated that it was interrupting my Saturday morning cartoon watching. As things went on, I began to be interested but didn't really understand what was happening. I remember well when President Nixon came on TV and announced he was resigning, and while I didn't understand it all, I knew it was important. As I got older and started studying political science at BYU, I finally got a grasp of what had transpired in my youth. It may well be the initial spark that got me interested in public service.

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

I can't remember a time when I didn't have a job. My parents instill in me a very strong work ethic. I paid for most of my school clothes, my first car and most of the activities I did as a kid. My very first job was delivering newspapers in Salt Lake City when I was 9 years old. I delivered to homes in the Sugarhouse area and to Westminster College. I did that for several years until we moved out of state.

What is your favorite book? Why?

That is a long list to narrow down. I've mentioned Viktor Frankl's 'Man's Search For Meaning,' and it is still probably my favorite. It is a story of hope in one of the darkest points in the world's history. I often go back to a quote from that book which says "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." This is the basis of everything I do and believe. We have the ability to choose how we respond. We are facing a global pandemic right now. Some will walk into a supermarket, see only two bags of flower on a shelf and buy them both. Someone else will buy one for themselves and leave one for someone else. Someone will by them both and give one to someone else. And someone will buy them both and make bread for their neighborhood.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Uncle John's Band' by the Grateful Dead. I am truly a 'Deadhead' at heart, and the first lyrics to this song speak to me: "Well, the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry anymore. Cuz' when life looks like east street, there is danger at your door. Think this through with me. Let me know your mind. Oh, oh, all I want to know is 'are you kind?'

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The makeup of the House of Representatives is its most unique quality. Unlike the Senate, Representatives are elected for a 2-year period of time. This was set up so that the did not become a permanent fixture in Washington as they would need to be re-elected every two years. It allows for relatively quick change and should ensure the Representatives are in touch with those who elected them. While the system was put in place so as to not have Representatives turning the position into a career, history has shown us that that wasn't the outcome. We need to initiate term limits on both houses of Congress. I would support a limit of six terms in the House and two terms in the Senate. That would put a cap of twelve years on both houses of Congress. After twelve years, if you have not become the solution, you have become part of the problem.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think that having served as an elected official shortens the learning curve for a new Representative and gives him point of view from the local government vantage point. This is crucial knowledge for a Representative who is there to represent the cities and towns in his district. He knows how the decisions he makes will affect those at the lowest level of government.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Throughout the next decade, we will be faced with multiple challenges. Some of them we can foresee, and others have yet to present themselves. Underlying all of them, and the way we can and will respond to the challenges, will be the budget. We continue to function on a series of continuing resolutions in order to keep the government running. This is a concept foreign to Utah and to most other states. Constitutionally, our State, Counties and Cities must all have a balanced budget. We do the same in our businesses and families. I can't imagine running my business or my household in the way we run the Federal government. During the next 10 years, we are going to have to make some serious changes to our budget, cut programs to get closer to making ends meet and start reducing the deficit. As Mayor, we began a zero-based budgeting process. This meant that, just because the department got $1,000,000 last year, they do not get to start there this year. Every dollar has to be justified by each department. Once the budget requests have been submitted, we sit down and start making cuts until the income exceeds the expenses AND allow us to put aside for a rainy day.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

My first choice would be to serve on the Armed Services Committee. I would also like to serve on Veterans Affairs, Appropriations and Homeland Security. I believe my background would allow me to contribute a great deal to any of these committees.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes. As stated previously, the two-year term allows for a Congressional District to replace their Representative relatively quickly should he fail to live up to the commitments he made.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I fully support term limits. The problem has been getting Congress to cast a vote which would ultimately relieve them of their position. I believe there is an answer to that. I would propose legislation which allows any sitting Congressman or Senator to remain in their position until such time as they are voted out any their constituents but puts any newly elected official under a term limit. I would propose a limit of twelve years for either house. This would allow the shift to take place over time, but ensure that all elected officials are under the new term limits within 20-30 years.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Way too early for me to be thinking of joining leadership in the House. When elected, I would certainly entertain that opportunity.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I am a huge fan of Trey Gowdy. Trey may well be one of the most conservative Representatives I have ever encountered, and yet he had the ability to bring people to the table to talk. He stated, while we are nation may seem divided on the surface, he believed that the nation can be transformed by conversations and friendships that lead to reconciliations and understanding. He held strong to his conservative principles while trying to unite us.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I spoke to a someone recently who told me about his troubled childhood. After being a witness to the death of his parents and then dealing with every form of abuse by those who raised him afterwards, he still had the ability to decide his future. He felt we, as Americans, need more of that mentality. We need to look at ourselves and commit to being better people.

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.

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Footnotes

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Utah's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Curtis (R)

Mike Lee (R)

Representatives

District 1

Blake Moore (R)

District 2

Celeste Maloy (R)

District 3

Mike Kennedy (R)

District 4

Burgess Owens (R)

Republican Party (6)