Suni Woolstenhulme pledges to put Summit County voters first, ensure “every lawful vote is counted”

This post is sponsored by Suni Woolstenhulme for clerk.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — For Suni Woolstenhulme, the decision to run for Summit County clerk began at the counter of her business, talking with local customers.

Woolstenhulme has lived in Summit County for more than two decades, serving her community as a local business owner, an eight-year member of the South Summit Board and an advocate for her neighbors.

At her shop, Park City Gift & Gourmet, she repeatedly heard residents express frustration that their voices were no longer being heard by local government. Those conversations inspired her to pursue a new way to serve: helping residents navigate government processes and feel more connected to the decisions affecting their community. 

“It seemed the perfect spot was to run for the clerk’s office and to just re-empower those voters and their voices and the things that they were feeling that they had lost trust in,” Woolstenhulme said.

With a degree in business management from Utah State University and experience on the South Summit Board, Woolstenhulme brings firsthand knowledge of public budgets, compliance and legislative matters to her campaign. Serving as county clerk would be a natural extension of the work she already does every day: listening to people, understanding their concerns and finding ways to improve their experience.

“Having a retail storefront, interacting with customers daily, learning how to listen to them, what they’re in need of, communicate with them, and try and improve their user experience is exactly the same thing you would do within the clerk’s office,” she said.

Building trust through accessibility 

Woolstenhulme knows that trust begins with honesty and follow-through, but it is also shaped by everyday interactions with county government. That is why, as county clerk, she would make public records more accessible, improve the county website, respond to questions promptly and help residents understand procedures that can otherwise feel intimidating.

“If someone comes in and they want to be a petition sponsor, then you take the time and you walk through it with them,” Woolstenhulme said. “You don’t just pass them a piece of paper, pass them a packet, and fill out the paperwork for them.”

The controversial Dakota Pacific development was a turning point for Woolstenhulme. Troubled by how the petition process unfolded, she would ensure Summit County residents receive the transparency they deserve and clear guidance when exercising civic rights. 

“They were faithfully going to the county meetings. It really did not sit well with me because the amount of labor and effort to collect 6,000 signatures is staggering, and you are doing it in the dead of winter, and they put so much work into it.”

For Woolstenhulme, the issue comes down to the clerk’s responsibility to the public. She feels that residents should not have to navigate complicated procedures without clear information about how to exercise their rights.

“As a clerk, you don’t need to tell people what they need to petition for or where their interests lie. But it is your responsibility to make sure they understand how to exercise those rights,”  Woolstenhulme said. “I’m not going to sit there and just speak to someone with legal jargon, but I strive to communicate in a way that anyone can understand.” 

Woolstenhulme ensures that if she is elected, every eligible voter would have the opportunity to participate without unnecessary barriers, and her guiding principle is straightforward: “Every lawful vote is to be counted.”

Woolstenhulme wants to keep the focus where it belongs—with the voter, the integrity of the process and every resident’s right to have a voice in their government.

Serving residents across political lines 

For Woolstenhulme, the county clerk’s office should be a place where every resident can expect fairness, regardless of political beliefs. While the race itself is partisan, she believes the responsibility of the office is to serve the public equally and keep the focus on voters.

Giving back to her community 

That commitment to serving others extends beyond Woolstenhulme’s vision for county government. Woolstenhulme’s desire to serve is rooted in her admiration for the people who make Summit County special. 

“They are so generous. It’s really hard to find people more generous than them. They devote a lot of time to nonprofits, and to supporting things within the community and to advocating for people…and that combination of success and generosity is really hard to find in the world,” Woolstenhulme said. “I just feel inspired by it again and again, and it makes me want to give more and be a better person myself.”

Woolstenhulme says that spirit of generosity also influenced her thinking about the county clerk’s compensation. After learning that the position’s annual salary and compensation package totals approximately $200,000, she began thinking about the residents whose tax dollars fund county government, including service industry workers and young families working to afford life in Summit County.

“That puts someone working in government in the 85th, 90th percentile of individual income earners,” Woolstenhulme said. “When I’m looking around at all of these people—the service industry workers, and all of the people within this county who are hustling and trying so hard to be able to live here, and the young families as well—it just didn’t sit right with me that it was so high, paid for by my peers.”

Because state and federal law limit the ability to change or freeze the salary during a term, Woolstenhulme is pledging to donate a portion of her compensation back to the community. Food banks and senior living centers are just a few of the places she is already planning on pouring into. 

The pledge reflects what Woolstenhulme says would guide her as clerk: putting people first, prioritizing residents’ needs and keeping their rights and voices at the center.

Ways to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Utah votes primarily by mail, and active registered voters should receive a ballot at home by late October. Under state law, a mailed ballot must reach the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. A postmark is no longer enough, so voters returning ballots in the final week should use a drop box instead of the mail. Voters can track their ballot and find drop box locations at vote.utah.gov.

To learn more about Suni Woolstenhulme and her plans for the Summit County clerk’s office, visit suniforclerk.com.