Cottonwood Heights residents will choose between Republican Rep. Clint Okerlund and Democratic challenger Iva Williams for Utah House District 42 on Nov. 3.

The district covers parts of Cottonwood Heights, Draper and Sandy. Okerlund, a freshman legislator, is seeking a second term. Williams, a Salesforce administrator at software firm MasterControl, is making her first bid for office.

Both candidates laid out their priorities in a Salt Lake Tribune voter guide published Oct. 12.

Water and the Great Salt Lake

Okerlund said he plans to reintroduce HB 328, a bill he sponsored during the 2026 legislative session. The bill would have restricted overhead spray irrigation on nonfunctional turf at new commercial and institutional developments in the Great Salt Lake drainage basin. It cleared the House and a Senate committee but died before reaching a Senate floor vote, according to Utah Public Radio. Single-family homes, schools, agricultural land and government properties would have been exempt.

"It is an easy lift that will have a noticeable impact on water levels in the Great Salt Lake," Okerlund wrote in the Tribune questionnaire.

Williams said she supports rewarding farmers who voluntarily lease water or upgrade irrigation, helping families replace lawns and requiring public hearings before Utah signs any Colorado River deal.

Affordability

On cost of living, Okerlund favors keeping taxes low on property, income and Social Security, along with housing and permitting policies that address supply.

Williams called for ending the state sales tax on groceries, keeping zoning decisions local, speeding up permitting and requiring transparency before property taxes rise.

AI regulation and government reform

Williams made artificial intelligence regulation a centerpiece of her campaign, calling for safety testing, transparency and accountability requirements for AI development.

Okerlund said he would continue pushing to limit the number of bills each legislator can introduce per session. He also serves on the advisory board of the Canyons Innovation Center, a profession-based learning hub scheduled to open in August 2027 at the former eBay headquarters in Draper. The center plans to serve about 3,650 Canyons District high school students annually across eight programs, including artificial intelligence.

Constitutional amendments

Voters will also decide two constitutional amendments. Amendment A would let legislators choose how to publish proposed amendments instead of requiring newspaper publication in every county, according to the Deseret News. Amendment B would require 60% voter approval for citizen-initiated ballot measures that create or raise taxes, according to Ballotpedia.

Okerlund supports both amendments. Williams opposes both.

Background

Okerlund grew up in Richfield and lives in Sandy, where he is chief financial officer for a biotech startup. Republicans hold a 60-14 majority in the Utah House.

Williams said she is running to carry her neighbors' voices to the Legislature.

Mail ballots must arrive in a drop box or be in the county clerk's possession by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.