Kaysville mayor Tammy says she will run for open state Senate seat to push back on state overreach

Kaysville Mayor Tammy, a business owner and long-time local official, told a Davis County Citizen Journalism forum she is running for an open state Senate seat to "push back on some of the ridiculousness that's happening" at the state level. She said she planned to finish a term as mayor but seized the opportunity of an open seat and will seek to use the Senate to protect local control.

Tammy outlined a personal and political background that she said prepared her for office: born in South Korea and adopted and raised in Utah County, she later moved to Bountiful, helped sponsor her husband's family to the U.S., founded businesses in the aerospace and defense sector in about 2004, and served as a planning commissioner, city council member and mayor. "I was born in South Korea and adopted by a family in Utah," she said, adding that she has two grown children and three grandchildren.

She framed her campaign around resisting what she described as state overreach. "The proper role of government is to get out of people's way," Tammy said, criticizing unfunded mandates and state proposals she said would force higher housing density and accessory dwelling units on cities. She said local governments should decide density and land-use choices and that the state has pushed requirements without planning or funding for infrastructure.

On governance questions, Tammy said she prefers elected officials for positions such as auditor, treasurer or attorney general because elections provide accountability. Asked how she would resist pressure from Senate leadership, she said she is "a fighter" and pointed to instances when she publicly pushed back on legislation and local decisions she believed were misguided. She described persuading regional officials to delay a recycling rollout until cities could discuss it with residents as an example of holding to principle.

Tammy also described practical steps she would take to stay accessible if elected. She said she posts her phone number publicly, answers calls and emails, visits constituents and conducts in-person outreach, and that she is already reaching out to people across the Senate district to learn their "hot buttons." Regarding campaign mechanics, she said she gathered signatures to appear on the ballot to ensure voters would have a choice and to reach beyond the 300 delegates in her district.

She closed by asking the group for support and denying circulating rumors about foreign allegiances: "I am not a Chinese spy," she said. The candidate said she plans to continue meeting voters as the campaign proceeds and pursue the Senate seat to press for local control and fiscal accountability.