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Val Peterson
2023 - Present
2027
2
Val Peterson (Republican Party) is a member of the Utah House of Representatives, representing District 56. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Peterson (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Utah House of Representatives to represent District 56. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Val Peterson graduated from Moscow High School in 1981. Peterson earned a B.A. in communications and public relations, an M.A. in mass communications, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Brigham Young University, and an M.S. in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. Peterson served in the Utah National Guard, reaching the rank of colonel. His career experience includes working as vice president of administration and legislative affairs at Utah Valley University. Peterson was a state and county delegate in the Republican Party and was finance chair for the Utah County Republican Party in 2009.
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
Peterson was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Peterson was assigned to the following committees:
2019-2020
Peterson was assigned to the following committees:
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Utah committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Education, Chair |
| • Government Operations |
| • Rules |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Peterson served on the following committees:
| Utah committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Business and Labor, Chair |
| • Government Operations |
2013-2014
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Peterson served on the following committees:
| Utah committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Education |
| • Rules |
| • Transportation, Vice chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Peterson served on the following committees:
| Utah committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Transportation |
| • Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development |
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 House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Utah House of Representatives District 56
Incumbent Val Peterson won election in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 56 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Val Peterson (R) | 100.0 | 12,338 |
| Total votes: 12,338 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Val Peterson advanced from the Republican primary for Utah House of Representatives District 56.
Republican convention
Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 56
Incumbent Val Peterson advanced from the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 56 on April 20, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Val Peterson (R) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Peterson in this election.
2022
See also: Utah House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Utah House of Representatives District 56
Incumbent Val Peterson won election in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 56 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Val Peterson (R) | 100.0 | 8,866 |
| Total votes: 8,866 | |||
| = 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
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Val Peterson advanced from the Republican primary for Utah House of Representatives District 56.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican convention
Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 56
Incumbent Val Peterson advanced from the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 56 on April 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Val Peterson (R) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
2020
See also: Utah House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Utah House of Representatives District 59
Incumbent Val Peterson defeated Catherine Eslinger and Will Christensen in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 59 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Val Peterson (R) | 75.7 | 15,142 |
 | Catherine Eslinger (United Utah Party) | 24.2 | 4,841 | |
| Will Christensen (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.1 | 11 | ||
| Total votes: 19,994 | |||
| = 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
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Matthew W. Bell (R)
Republican convention
Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 59
Incumbent Val Peterson advanced from the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 59 on April 25, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Val Peterson (R) |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Utah House of Representatives District 59
Incumbent Val Peterson defeated Gregory Hmura in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 59 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Val Peterson (R) | 82.9 | 9,812 |
| Gregory Hmura (Independent American Party) | 17.1 | 2,026 | ||
| Total votes: 11,838 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Utah House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 28, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 17, 2016.
Incumbent Val Peterson defeated Rachel Nelson in the Utah House of Representatives District 59 general election.[1]
| Utah House of Representatives, District 59 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Val Peterson Incumbent |
79.46% | 11,065 | |
| Democratic | Rachel Nelson | 20.54% | 2,861 | |
| Total Votes | 13,926 | |||
| Source: Utah Secretary of State | ||||
Rachel Nelson ran unopposed in the Utah House of Representatives District 59 Democratic primary.[2][3]
| Utah House of Representatives District 59, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Rachel Nelson (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Val Peterson ran unopposed in the Utah House of Representatives District 59 Republican primary.[2][3]
| Utah House of Representatives District 59, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Val Peterson Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Utah House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 20, 2014. Incumbent Val Peterson was unopposed in the Republican convention. Peterson was unopposed in the general election.[4]
2012
Peterson won re-election in the 2012 election for Utah House of Representatives District 59. He ran unopposed in the June 26 Republican primary and won re-election in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Val Peterson Incumbent |
85.3% | 9,971 | |
| Libertarian | Kenny Barlow | 7.5% | 880 | |
| Constitution | Benjamin Norton | 7.2% | 840 | |
| Total Votes | 11,691 | |||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Peterson won election to the Utah House of Representatives, District 59.[6]
| Utah House of Representatives, District 59 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Val Peterson (R)
|
4,376 | |||
| James Greer (D) | 922 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Val Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Val Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Val Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2012
Peterson's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[7]
Guns & 2nd Amendment
- Excerpt: "I believe in an armed citizenship and the rights to purchase possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes."
Immigration
- Excerpt: "I support the law of the land and believe that first and foremost we must protect our borders."
States Rights
- Excerpt: "I will sustain and make every effort to pass laws that will support our governor and attorney general in joining with other states in defending Utah’s sovereignty under the 10th Amendment in rolling back the federal government to its proper and appropriate roll."
Economic Development
- Excerpt: "I will champion the free markets and lessen governmental burdens on businesses, which are the engines of prosperity for quality employment."
Ethics Reform
- Excerpt: "I support the ethics reform that was passed during the last legislative session, which provides for transparency in gifts or meals and creates an ethics review commission which will oversee, investigate and discipline ethics violations."
Campaign finance summary
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.
Scorecards
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]. |
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In 2024, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 16 to March 1.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 17 to March 3.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 18 to March 4.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 19 to March 5.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 27 to March 12.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 28 through March 14.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 22 through March 8.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 23 through March 9. There was also a special session on September 20.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 25 through March 10.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 26 through March 12.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the 60th Utah State Legislature, second year, was in session from January 27 to March 14.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the 60th Utah State Legislature, first year, was in session from January 28 to March 14.
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2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
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In 2012, the 59th Utah State Legislature, second year, was in session from January 23 to March 8.
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2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
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In 2011, the 59th Utah State Legislature, first year, was in session from January 24 to March 10.
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The Libertas Institute Index
The Libertas Institute is a libertarian-leaning think tank located in Utah.[11] Each year the organization releases a Legislative Index for Utah State Representatives and Senators.
2011
Val Peterson received an index rating of 53%.
2012
Val Peterson received an index rating of 35%.
2013
Val Peterson received an index rating of 36%.
The Sutherland Institute Scorecard
The Sutherland Institute, "a conservative public policy think tank" in Utah, releases its Scorecard for Utah State Representatives and Senators once a year. The Score Card gives each legislator a score based on how they voted in the prior legislative term on specific issues which the Sutherland Institute thought were pro-conservative policies.[12]
2012
Val Peterson received a score of 100 percent in the 2012 scorecard.[13]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Peterson lives with his wife, Ann.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Utah Secretary of State, "2016 General Election," accessed November 29, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Utah.gov, "2016 Candidate Filings," accessed March 23, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Utah.gov, "2016 Primary Election Results," accessed August 20, 2016
- ↑ Utah Lieutenant Governor, "2014 Candidate Filings," accessed March 22, 2014
- ↑ Lieutenant Governor's Office, "Utah 2012 candidate filings," accessed March 29, 2014
- ↑ Utah Election Results, "Utah House of Representatives election results," accessed March 29, 2014
- ↑ valpeterson, "Official Campaign Website," accessed March 29, 2014
- ↑ GrassRoots, "2015 Legislative Report," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Utah Legislative Ratings, "UTAH HOUSE Scorecard - Compiled 2015 Conservative Liberal Index," May 19, 2015
- ↑ GrassRoots, "2015 Legislative Report," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ Libertas Institute, "Legislator Indexes," accessed January 21, 2014
- ↑ Sutherland Institute, "2012 Legislative Session," accessed March 29, 2014
- ↑ Sutherland Institute, "2012 Sutherland Institute Legislative Scorecard," accessed March 29, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kay Christofferson (R) |
Utah House of Representatives District 56 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Utah House of Representatives District 59 2011-2023 |
Succeeded by Mike Kohler (R) |
