Stephen Otterstrom

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Stephen Otterstrom

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

West High School

Associate

Salt Lake Community College, 2003

Bachelor's

University of Utah, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

Salt Lake City, Utah

Profession

Consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Stephen Otterstrom ran for election to the Salt Lake City Council to represent District 1 in Utah. He lost in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Otterstrom completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Stephen Otterstrom was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He earned an associate degree from Salt Lake Community College in 2003 and a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah in 2008. His career experience includes working as a consultant.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Salt Lake City, Utah (2025)

General election

General election for Salt Lake City Council District 1

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Victoria Petro-Eschler in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Submit photo	Victoria Petro-Eschler	51.8	1,664	0	Won (1)
		Stephen Otterstrom	48.2	1,546	0	1

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,210
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Yussuf Abdi (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Otterstrom in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Stephen Otterstrom completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Otterstrom's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

The Westside is the heart and soul of Salt Lake City. We have the closest families, work the hardest, and are the most resourceful. We prioritize each other, but it does not feel like the city government prioritizes us. The greatest example of this is the current City Council's unanimous decision to raise sales tax to give $900 million to Smith Entertainment Group. We are paying every cent of the Delta Center renovation and gaining no ownership or share in its revenue. It is simply a handout, and residents will be paying for the next 30 years. Our current Council is representing the interests of the well-connected and ultra-wealthy. I am running to represent the rest of us.

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?

• Housing — More and more Salt Lake residents are priced out of housing because of out-of-control rent and purchase prices. State law forbids rent control ordinances, and as the price of real estate climbs, property taxes increases place seniors on fixed incomes in danger of losing their housing. If we want to stabilize our housing market, we need to try something different. Cooperative Housing gives renters the ability to collectively purchase their building, allowing them to gain equity by signing a lease. Additional ordinances could give renters the first right of refusal when a building is sold. Community Land Trusts reduce the cost of housing with the city purchasing the land and the owner purchasing the structure on top of it.
• Homelessness — Unhoused people are, first and foremost, people. Currently, more than 4,500 Utahns are experiencing homelessness. We are not okay with this scale of suffering. In the short-term, the city needs to open up its properties during deadly extreme heat and cold to provide relief, and we must partner with churches and non-profits who already engage in this life-saving work. In the long-term, the city must prioritize buying and converting existing structures to provide housing, resources, and support to help those in need. Sanctioned camp sites often become permanent, expensive programs that don’t effectively help those experiencing homelessness, so we should focus on converting existing structures instead.
• Public Money Used for Public Benefit — The city’s priorities are apparent in what it allocates funds for. Our public dollars should be used to support the people, not billionaire handouts or vanity projects. The current Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously to create a new sales tax to benefit a Provo billionaire. For the next 30 years, you will be paying to renovate a privately-owned arena. In the best-case scenario, Salt Lake City can expect to get back half of what is given to this project. With this vote, the Council has decided to give nearly one in every three sales tax dollars the city collects to this project. It’s bad enough when billionaires don’t pay taxes—it’s even worse when we are forced to pay taxes to a billionaire.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing policy

Alternative housing ownership models
Homelessness
Roads and transportation
City budget
Using public funds for public good
Mental health resources

Civil rights

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

Curiosity — A good city councilperson recognizes they don’t have all the answers and will proactively, and with genuine curiosity, look for the best solutions.

Proactive — A good councilperson doesn’t wait to be approached, but instead approaches them. A good city councilperson proactively seeks the ideas and concerns of their constituents.

Vulnerablity — A good city councilperson is willing to stand alone in order to benefit their constituents. They share their honest perspectives and thought process instead of hiding behind closed door meetings.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like Salt Lake to be a city with opportunities for all. Specifically, I want every resident to have the ability to own the place where they live. I want the city to be welcoming to visitors, and for residents, I want it to be a place where they feel a true sense of belonging— in a place that belongs to them. I envision cooperative housing replacing the rental model so that housing stability and the communities it fosters become the rule rather than the exception. I would like to see city leaders make community the ultimate goal and the destination of all city initiatives.

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

2025 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Salt Lake City Council District 1

Website