Cottonwood Heights and Holladay voters will choose between a Democratic incumbent and a Republican challenger for Utah House District 41 on Nov. 3.

Democrat John Arthur, a sixth-grade teacher and 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year, was appointed to the seat in December 2025 after Gay Lynn Bennion resigned following her election as mayor of Cottonwood Heights. He is seeking his first full term. Republican Darren Croft, a retired engineer and former chief information officer at the American Research Bureau, won the Republican primary on June 23 with 62.5% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

The district covers Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon and parts of Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Midvale and Murray. Both candidates laid out contrasting priorities in a Salt Lake Tribune voter guide published Monday, Oct. 12.

Water rates and conservation

Croft said Salt Lake City charges District 41 residents 35% more for water than city residents pay and pledged to sponsor legislation to end the disparity. That figure is Croft's campaign claim; no independent verification of the specific rate differential was found in available public records.

Arthur pointed to HB 313, a bill he sponsored that Gov. Spencer Cox signed March 23. The law requires licensed landscape contractors to complete continuing education in water conservation and fire-mitigation techniques.

"Water conservation has to be built into every housing and development decision we make," Arthur wrote in the Tribune questionnaire.

Housing affordability

Arthur introduced HB 578 during the 2026 session to require landlords to give 60 days' notice before raising rent.

The bill did not pass.

Croft said Utah's $20,000 first-time homebuyer assistance program, created by S.B. 240 in 2023, is limited to new construction. He said he would push to expand it to include existing homes, arguing the current rule "limits options for young families and hurts mature communities."

Constitutional amendments

The candidates split on Amendment A, which would replace the requirement to publish proposed constitutional amendments in newspapers with publication on two state websites. The amendment passed the Legislature unanimously, and publishing both 2026 amendments in newspapers cost an estimated $1.4 million, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Arthur opposes Amendment A. Croft supports it.

Both candidates oppose Amendment B, which would require citizen-initiated tax measures to win 60% approval instead of a simple majority, according to KUER.

Background and priorities

Arthur, who holds two master's degrees from Westminster University, was recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children as General Education Teacher of the Year for his work with students with disabilities. He said increasing state funding for special education is a top priority.

Croft describes himself as taking zero PAC money and said he is "running to solve complex problems, not start a political career."

Bennion won HD-41 in 2024 with 63.8% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting runs Oct. 20 through Oct. 30. Mail ballots must reach a dropbox or the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day.