Dallas Joseph Guymon

Utah State House

71 Cedar City/Utah

What kind of support does your campaign need most?

Canvassing

UAC 2022 Utah Legislative Candidate Survey Responses

Biography

Tell us about yourself: this could include biographical details, a list of hobbies, professional accomplishments, or anything you’d like to highlight. Please note that you will have an opportunity to discuss volunteer experiences, below.

I am a husband, a college graduate, and a graduate student. I love to read, study, and spend time with friends and family.

Campaign Strategy

Describe your strategy for victory in your campaign; i.e., what is your messaging? How will it appeal to a majority of voters in your district? Are voters in your district already aligned with your views? If not, how do you plan to persuade them?

My primary strategy is to focus on the actual issues that are affecting our community. Housing, water, poverty, reproductive rights, health care, etc. I believe these are universal issues that my district agrees with. However, I am a Democrat in Iron County, which is largely a Republican stronghold. I will try and persuade my constituents by relating to them and most importantly listening to them. And if all else fails, I plan on working hard to show that I am putting in the work for their vote.

Why Run?

A decision to run for office can often be a difficult one: why did you decide to run for the Utah State Legislature, i.e. what are your guiding principles?

I want to give back to my community and be another voice and option then the status quo.

Experience

What professional or volunteer experience do you have that’s pertinent to being a Utah State Legislator?

I am a citizen that has felt the effects of bad policy.

Community

What community groups, nonprofit organizations, or professional organizations do you belong to or align with?

Democratic Woman's Caucus

Endorsements

What local community members, professional associates, or elected officials have encouraged you to run for office or endorsed your campaign?

The Iron County Democratic Party

Book Recommendation

What book has most influenced your decision to run for public office?

Team of Rivals by Dorris Kearns Goodwin

Building Momentum

In our polarized political environment, it can be difficult to achieve the results you envision for your community. What are some strategies that might help you achieve your policy goals? Examples might include coalition-building with opposing-party caucuses, seeking support from established nonprofits, or cultivating public support from like-minded individuals and grassroots groups.

The most important coalition I can create is with the citizens of Utah. I believe that working on major issues like housing, water, and economic growth will help build additional coalitions with representatives.

Priorities

Please list or describe the areas of public policy you intend to focus on while in office—please describe YOUR areas of interest.

-Building affordable and attainable housing
-Protect reproductive rights
-Introduce congressional term limits
-Legalize marijuana

Incumbent Successes

If you are an incumbent, were you the primary author of any bills that became law during your most recent term? Please share the one or two bills of which you are most proud.

Fiscal Philosophy

If you are elected and are able to have a bill passed into law, would you be willing to raise taxes to fund its enactment? If you would, instead, seek to cut funding from another program, what programs do you feel are funded to excess?

If taxes do need to be increased, I will push for taxes to primarily be increased on our top-income earners and corporations.

The Role of Government Role in Public Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed strain on our systems of governance, public health response, and health care capacity. What do you feel is the role of the Utah State Government in the response to the current pandemic? In future public health crises? What role is appropriate for municipal governments, local public health departments, and local school districts?

We need to build a plan of action for future pandemics. Ultimately, our response will need to match the seriousness of the threat. That entails that all legal actions must be put on the table.

The Role of Expertise in Decision Making

Elected officials are chosen to represent our communities by their citizens but neither they nor their constituents are experts in the many fields that inform and even run the day-to-day work of government. How do you rank your information sources, i.e. who is most important to listen to? Committees, caucus leadership, constituent feedback, or professional experts?

I always put constituent feedback as my top priority. But I will also attempt to balance all perspectives to have a well-rounded and well-informed position.

Creating Consensus

The power balance of Utah’s legislature—in both the House of Representatives and the Senate—is skewed in favor of a Republican super-majority. What is your approach to creating understanding and compromise when it appears neither is possible?

I believe listening and compromise will be my main approach. Ultimately, I am willing to stand alone and principled against policy that I am against.

The Environment

The Great Salt Lake is in jeopardy. Fossil fuel consumption is a direct cause of the changes we are seeing to communities and habitats across the state. How do you foresee balancing short-term economic pressures against the need to have difficult conversations and make difficult choices in order to preserve Utah for our children and grandchildren?

I believe that investment into energy alternatives will only boost jobs and innovation. All of which can boost short-term economics and help the future.

Equal Rights

State legislatures are now where the personhood of women is decided. How will you engage with your colleagues on this issue—and will you vote to protect the right of women to full bodily autonomy?

I am pro-choice and believe that autonomy of the individual should be left to them and not the government.

LGBTQIA+

Our communities seem more divided than ever over the topics of racial and LGBTQIA equity in our schools. In your view, what is the role of the Utah State Legislature in protecting or defining the rights of minority groups in our communities?

I am a strong advocate of acceptance, and I will support LGBTQIA equity in our schools. The legislature can work to pass the Equal Rights Amendment that will solidify that all people have equal protections in our state and country.

American History

Another ongoing stressor on our school system is the false notion that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is being taught in Utah’s K-12 schools. What would you say to someone who is opposed to teaching a full accounting of American History in our schools?

I teach history at a high school level, and I would say that for people to love their country they must know their country. Both the good and the bad.

Mental Health in Schools

Many underlying issues are adjacent to the debates over equity in Utah schools. For instance, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are prevalent among Utah’s youth. Do you believe Utah’s educational system has a role to play in supporting the social and emotional wellness of its students? If yes, how would you propose funding our educational system so it has the resources it would need to fill this role?

I do believe we need to allocate more funds to mental health and to teach students how to properly cope with such issues.

Vouchers

Another ongoing debate concerns school choice through vouchers for private schools. Do you support the appropriation of taxpayer funds for families to send their children to schools that are exempt from meeting state and federal educational standards and from following Civil Liberties law?

Education

Utah ranks 49/50 in per pupil spending, coming in at $8,366 spent per student (according to the 2020 Census). Utah schools are run by a complicated network of professionals including school bus drivers, kitchen staff, administrative assistance, reading specialists, social workers, psychologists, nurses, and administrators. To effectively support teachers and students, the entire school system must be adequately supported. What would you say to anyone suggesting that Utah's current budget surplus be used to pay for another round of tax cuts?

I would want to see us spend closer to 13,000 dollars per student. I would encourage the surplus to be invested into our schools.