Democratic Rep. Brian King files to run for Governor

Gubernational candidate Brian King. Photo: King for Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Brian King, a Democratic representative in the Utah legislature, today filed the official paperwork announcing his candidacy to run for Governor.

King, who serves District 23 in the Utah State House of Representatives, encompassing sections of Summit and Salt Lake Counties, has held the position of House Minority Leader from 2015 to 2023.

“Public servants are supposed to serve the public. Instead, they prioritize personal interests and ignore the people’s will, fueling a circle of broken promises, extremism, and polarization. You’re not alone in feeling like your party has abandoned you,” King’s campaign launch video said.

A Salt Lake City native, King graduated from the University of Utah College of Law in 1985. Outside of serving in the state legislature, King owns and operates a legal practice, focusing on advocating for individuals engaged in litigation against health, life, and disability insurance companies.

Additionally, he handles cases related to self-funded employee benefit plans, addressing claims under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

In the state House of Representatives, King sits on the Business and Labor Committee, Judiciary Committee, and the Judicial Rules Review Committee.

Throughout his time in office, he played a role in enacting substantial laws focused on diminishing gun violence, enacting tax reform, safeguarding vulnerable children and adults, addressing domestic violence, overhauling criminal and juvenile justice systems, and increasing availability of mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

From 2015 to 2022, Representative King served as the Leader of the House Minority Caucus, and he actively participated on the boards of the Rape Recovery Center and the ACLU of Utah. Presently, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Utah’s Hogle Zoo.

King is currently the only Democrat to declare for Governor, while incumbent Governor Cox will face Phil Lyman in the Republican primaries.