Where Peter Stands

Northern Utah was founded on the traditions of hard work and innovation that puts people first.

These values and traditions have served us well for decades, but are now under stress, partly because of the actions (or inaction) of our representatives.

The Housing Crisis

Northern Utah’s housing market is one of the most expensive in the country and there is a historic housing crisis preventing people from finding permanent homes for their families. While there are some in-state efforts to alleviate this pressure, they are falling well short of our current needs.

I support regulatory reform for our housing markets and want to:

• Incentivize better city planning
• Build more affordable housing around community models
• Increase incomes for hard working Utahns so they can afford to start building their families and their futures here
• Fund existing programs that support thoughtful rural community development
• Re-fund existing programs that make it easier for rural communities and first-time home buyers to build roots

Affordable Daily Necessities

We are seeing inflation and cost of living increases that are making it more difficult for regular, hard-working families. Basic staples, like meat, eggs, and milk, are taking an increasingly large part of our grocery budgets each month. Other consumer goods impacted by the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration (and ignored by Blake Moore and our other representatives) are more expensive.

• I will join other willing members of Congress and bring an end to this illegal tariff regime.
  • Tariffs make it harder for our local business and entrepreneurs to make a living.
  • They also increase the cost of your everyday necessities.
• I would ensure the law is upheld in making sure SNAP benefits are distributed to the more than 80,000 Utah families who are struggling.

A Stable Job Market with Opportunities for All

At the same time living costs are rising, the job market appears to be weakening, creating a situation where everything is more expensive and fewer of our neighbors can afford to provide for themselves or their families.

Adding to this budding disaster are thousands of federal workers who have been forced out of their jobs. Because of DOGE cuts, our community lost thousands of good jobs, and an estimated $110–150 million in lost wages. Those were paychecks that supported families and our local businesses. Our nonprofits, dedicated food banks and other community resources are being stretched to a breaking point. Child hunger is the highest it has ever been, all while SNAP benefits are being cut by our current representative.

I want to:

• Establish a realistic living wage
• Revise our corporate tax code to prevent large corporations from “double dipping” (e.g., receiving tax breaks while their workers are forced to use taxpayer-subsidized programs)
• Reform and invest in higher education to provide more direct pathways to well-paying jobs while reducing the time and cost of applicable credentials

Affordable Healthcare

To add insult to our existing financial injury, this Congress has cut access to healthcare for millions of Americans, including tens of thousands here in Utah. Everyone is seeing the extra cost diminish their bank accounts, but our seniors and rural communities are being hit the hardest.

My own personal insurance increased 40% through my employer — yet the quality of care has not increased. People are being forced to decide between paying the rent or seeing a doctor. Healthcare workers are struggling to do their jobs under the weight of our arcane system. This is unsustainable.

The health insurance industry in the United States is worth $1.6 trillion. It’s a big beast to move but that doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. We need real reform so everyone can access affordable care.

If elected, I will fight for a cost-effective solution for healthcare access. Every large-scale study points to the same solution: a single-payer system.

My preference is for a single-payer system that:

• Allows private insurance companies to exist
• Fosters real competition in an actual marketplace
• Does not hold regular people captive while making the jobs of healthcare providers more difficult

Medicare, when well-funded and supported, works great for seniors. Why not expand this great program to include more Americans?

My family has a long and proud tradition of military and public service that dates back before the United States was the United States. An integral part of my childhood was learning about the obligation we have as citizens to our country, and the special burden that public servants carry as they represent us in our national government. My faith also teaches me about honesty, integrity and the value of being a good neighbor.

Elected representatives should put the Constitution of the United States first and the needs of this district second. Their personal wants or party affiliations shouldn’t rank in their official decision-making. I have spoken with many people throughout Northern Utah who feel they cannot trust their current representative to put the people of this district before D.C. party politics or individual self-promotion.

There are several solutions that will help rebuild our trust in our government.

• I would vote to ban individual stock trades for all members of Congress and their immediate families.
  • This ban should also be extended to members of the executive branch (e.g., the President, Vice President, cabinet secretaries) and their immediate families, as well as the judicial branch.
  • They shouldn’t be able to regulate the companies they invest in.
  • Our representatives are there to serve us, not their bank accounts.
• I would support a conversation about term limits for Congress.
  • It is healthy for our democracy to prevent any individual from any political party making a permanent home in Congress.
  • No more forever politicians.
• I support efforts to remove corporate money from our political process.
  • Our government is “of the people, by the people, for the people,” not corporate interests.
  • Removing the influence of this “dark money” will help public servants better serve us, the people.

All three of these solutions are attainable. The issue is, they require current representatives to put the needs of this country and their voters ahead of their personal benefits. I do not think they are capable of that.

This is why I am running. I am willing and able to vote in your best interest, with the support of the voters in our district.

Bottom line, restoring the Great Salt Lake requires more water. This is largely a state decision, as the Utah Legislature decides how to allocate resources in partnership with local entities.

As a federal representative, my responsibility will be to provide resources that help move more water to the lake and to remove barriers at the national level that prevent effective solutions.

This means doing hard work that very few of our state leaders seem equipped to do.

• Securing funding to help restore Utah’s aging water infrastructure and removing the invasive phragmites around the shore.
  • This work includes pursuing the $1 billion in federal funding discussed with state leadership, which has been proposed but not yet appropriated by Congress.
• Simplifying existing regulatory barriers among federal agencies if/when improvement projects require multi-agency approvals.
• Identifying communities impacted by decisions about water allocation.
  • Thinking about consequences before they happen so we can provide the resources and support necessary to support those impacted — like farmers.

This is a huge concern of mine, and I’d hope to gain a seat on the House Agriculture Committee. From there, I could better advocate for those most impacted by likely changes in water allocations throughout the state.