Although Utah has a rich heritage of women’s involvement in voting, advocacy, and various types of political participation, for decades Utah has lagged behind most states in terms of women running for and serving in elected political roles. To track progress, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) began reporting on the status of women in Utah politics in 2014, with updates in 2017, 2021, 2022, and now 2023. This podcast episode highlights findings from the recent UWLP brief about the status of women in Utah politics in 2023. Dr. Susan Madsen, Founding Director of the UWLP, is joined by two former members of the Utah State House of Representatives: Becky Edwards, who represented House District 20 from 2009 to 2018 and is a former candidate for the US Senate, and Rebecca Chavez-Houck, who represented Salt Lake City’s District 24 from 2008 to 2018. For many years, they have worked tirelessly to encourage more women to run for elected positions within the state of Utah.  

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