Utah Senate’s Minority Leadership Team for the 64th Legislature
The Utah Senate Minority Caucus elected their leadership team for the 64th Legislature (2021/22) on Friday, November 6. They are as follows:
Senate Minority Leadership Team
Sen. Karen Mayne, D – District 5, was elected as Minority Leader
Sen. Luz Escamilla, D – District 1, was elected as Minority Whip
Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D – District 4, was elected as Minority Assistant Whip
Sen. Gene Davis, D – District 3, was elected as Minority Caucus Manager
“It’s a privilege to be re-elected by my colleagues,” said Utah Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne. “Though our caucus is small, we are mighty. I am excited to continue to work toward a better future for our state. I, along with my caucus, am committed to fighting for all Utahns and making sure the voices of the few are heard and represented.”
"Congratulations to the Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne and the members of the Senate Minority caucus leadership team. Our combined commitment to better our state will result in policy outcomes that all Utahns will benefit from." – Senate Majority leadership team: President Stuart Adams, Sen. Evan Vickers, Sen. Dan Hemmert, Sen. Ann Millner.
Minority Leader, Sen. Karen Mayne, is a life-long resident of the west side of Salt Lake Valley. She has two children and six grandchildren. She serves as the Senate Minority Leader and has been recognized by many organizations for her legislative work. Some of these honors include Legislator of the Year, Salt Lake City Chamber Business Champion, winner of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award, the Business Coalition Award and the Conference of Occupational Health Providers Award for workplace safety legislation. In addition to her legislative committee assignments, she serves on several commissions and boards such as the Airport Advisory Board, the Veterans and Military Affairs Commission and the Criminal Code Evaluation Task Force.
Minority Whip, Sen. Luz Escamilla, was elected to the Utah State Senate in 2008, becoming the first Latina elected to the State Senate and the first immigrant in the Utah State Legislature. She is serving her fourth term in the Utah State Senate after being re-elected in 2012, 2016 and 2020. In 2005, former Governor Jon Huntsman appointed her as the first Director for the State Office of Ethnic Affairs. In this position, she oversaw the Directors of Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino and Pacific Islander Affairs. Sen. Escamilla lives on Salt Lake City's west side with her husband and their children.
Minority Assistant Whip, Sen. Iwamoto, was elected to the Utah State Senate in 2014. She previously served on the Salt Lake County Council, where she became the first Asian American woman elected in Utah. Iwamoto graduated Magna Cum Laude in mass communications from the University of Utah and received a J.D. from the U.C. Davis School of Law. Sen. Iwamoto serves on nearly two dozen committees, including Executive Appropriations, Legislative Management, Government Operations and Political Subdivisions and Natural Resources. She also serves on the Native American Legislative Liaison Committee, which seeks to address concerns affecting Utah Native American tribes. She is passionate about criminal and social justice issues, campus safety and environmental quality.
Minority Caucus Manager, Sen. Gene Davis, was elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 1987 and the Utah State Senate in 1998. He has served continuously in the Utah Legislature for the past 33 years. He proudly represents Senate District 3 in Salt Lake City. Sen. Davis is a fervent voice on Capitol Hill for public education and for the health and economic stability of Utah families. He serves on the Business and Labor Committee, the Revenue and Taxation Committee, the Education Committee and the Retirement and Independent Entities Committee.
