Most high schoolers won’t be voting in this year’s Provo mayoral race, but that doesn’t mean both candidates aren’t thinking about how their decisions will affect the city’s youth. Mayoral candidates Michelle Kaufusi and Marsha Judkins are both considering the question: “How will this affect future generations?” as they campaign across the city.
“Every decision that is made needs to have that thought in mind.” said Judkins in an in-person interview. For example, Judkins said that it’s important to think about how we are taking care of our infrastructure like streets, so that future generations will have a quality of life here in Provo. When asked what Judkins thinks has prepared her to be mayor she said, “I think our whole lives prepare us.” She talked about how raising her family helped her to see things through different perspectives and how it “taught me about budgeting and conflict resolution.”
On the other side, Michelle Kaufusi also has big plans for the city. According to Kaufusi’s campaign website, she has made it a priority to “foster economic growth.” On her campaign website she also talks about how she wants to protect what makes Provo special and build for the future. In her recent years as mayor, she has overseen the construction of parks around the city and brought in external funding for a new terminal at the Provo airport. Mayor Kaufusi did not respond to our request for an interview.
In the Primary Election on Aug. 12; Kaufusi 47.95% and Judkins received 44.22% of votes, in a field of 4 possible candidates.
Provo’s mayor election is on Nov. 4. The two candidates this year are Kaufusi, who has been Mayor since 2017, and Judkins, who served in Utah’s House of Representatives from 2018 to the beginning of 2025. Both have served on the Provo School District School Board. Don’t forget to vote! You should get your ballot in the mail, if you didn’t get one you should contact the Utah County Elections Office. You can drop off your ballot at either one of these places:
- Provo City Library
- Utah County Administration Building
