Jake Fitisemanu

Jake Fitisemanu earned a graduate degree from Westminster College in 2014. His career experience includes working as a community health program manager. He has been affiliated with the Salt Lake County Board of Health and the Partners for Families & Children Coalition.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been elected twice to the West Valley City Council since 2017. My most important role is that of a husband and father; I work full-time as a Community Health Program Manager. As a long-time West Valley City resident, I’m passionate about ensuring that West Valley residents’ voices are heard and responded to. I am ready to represent Utah’s House District 30 and serve my community next at the State Legislature prioritizing service and solutions.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Representation Matters - We don't live in cookie-cutter communities where everyone thinks and acts the same way. We need a representative who can genuinely understand different perspectives and actually work to represent the many different voices in our communities.Focus on Neighborhoods - The decisions made by our Legislature impact our everyday lives in ways we don't often think about. We need a representative who will stand up and speak out for issues that will improve our neighborhoods and our quality of life.Access and Affordability - We are blessed to live in a state that leads the nation in cutting-edge medicine, science, technology, higher education, and business, but not all Utahns have the same level of access to services and resources. We need a representative who will fight for all Utahns to have a fair shot at success.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Health and Population Wellness

Education Quality and Access

Employment and Working Conditions

Housing and Community Development

Economic Opportunity and Social Mobility

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the start of the Gulf War when I was 9 years old because my uncle was deployed on the USS Missouri.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I unloaded cargo trucks at a warehouse for two years during high school.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

As duly elected representatives, the governor and the legislature should work together to pass legislation and improve or eliminate harmful legislation.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Housing affordability and development

Transportation and infrastructure

Water and energy sourcing and sustainability

Air quality and environmental protection

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that a record of integrity and service to one’s community is a prerequisite for elected office; experience in government or politics can certainly be beneficial, but shouldn’t be the only criteria. The legislature enacts policies that impact local governments and needs to take municipal dynamics into consideration; there is no substitute for the experience I have as a city councilmember in supporting and understanding this relationship between state policy and local politics.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Building relationships with other legislators is necessary to foster collaboration to create better legislation. We can all learn from each other which can help us understand the unique challenges, assets, and perspectives that exist among communities across our diverse state. Regardless of party affiliation, we all have much more in common than we often assume; building relationships is the best way to learn that.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Senator Karen Mayne was a beloved neighbor and mentor who I admired for her genuine intention to serve the needs of our communities by working on meaningful legislative issues and garnering the respect and support of her peers – on both sides of the aisle – in the process.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Earlier this year, I accepted the invitation to be a guest speaker for a youth leadership conference at a local college. During one of the workshop sessions, as attendees took turns introducing themselves, I was humbled to hear one of the students stand and tell his peers that he was planning on running for his local city council because his family had experienced a positive impact of my work on the City Council. These kinds of stories of individuals who stand up and speak out for others are always a source of inspiration and a call to action for me.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

The separation of legislative and executive responsibilities is an intentional and insightful pillar of our constitution. Any changes to this delineation of power and responsibility should be made with extreme caution to ensure that checks and balances are maintained, and that emergency powers are not exercised outside of their intended scope.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A Health in All Policies measure that encourages lawmakers to consider the impacts (positive and detrimental) that new or revised state regulations could pose to the wellbeing and quality of life of Utahns. This is not only a meaningful approach for gauging the potential impact or consequences that legislation could have on individuals and communities, it is also a prudent, evidence-based approach to ensuring that taxpayer funding is expended efficiently and effectively promoting prevention and harm avoidance, rather than causing situations that will require unnecessarily expensive mitigation down the road.