Jeffrey Lipe

Jeffrey Lipe served in the U.S. Navy from 1978 to 1983. As of 2026, Lipe is retired.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an enlisted US Navy veteran of 5 years. I was a defense contractor for 15 years and retired after another 22 years as a federal government DOD employee. I was a software engineer, a systems engineer, and a software development manager during my career. I have a BS in Computer Science and an MS in Software Engineering. I am a former 44 year moderate Republican, but a never-Trumper. I was an Independent from about 2022-2025, then became a Democrat in 2025. I lived and worked in Virginia for 37 years, then moved to St George, Utah after retiring in 2020.

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?

I believe in making decisions based on the best interests of our community. Public health and wellness policy (such as vaccinations) and extraordinary precautions taken during national emergencies (such as mask mandates) must be based on verifiable facts, science, expertise, and citizen safety. The welfare of Utahns must not be politicized. I oppose the approval of major projects, like hyperscale data centers, without public comment, expert critical review, and full transparency. I believe the workers of Utah deserve a living wage and I strongly support organized labor. I oppose mass surveillance systems like Flock cameras, which can too easily be used to violate our civil rights.I believe in our Constitution and the Rule of Law. As a veteran, and later as a Federal Government Employee, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I continue to respect that oath, and I am severely disappointed by the failure of many of our elected leaders to do so. I demand due process for everyone as promised by our Constitution. I exercise and will defend my right to free speech and my right to bear arms. I believe everyone should be held accountable for their actions, regardless of their wealth or position. I believe the legislature must recognize the sanctity of our courts and stop undermining the integrity of members of the judiciary when they make a ruling the legislature doesn’t like.The US Constitution says elections are run by the states. I applaud our LT Governor for standing up for Utah’s rights. I believe Utah’s elections are free, fair, and secure. I am opposed to any process that excludes any eligible person from voting, or anything that makes the process more difficult than it needs to be. There is no evidence of voter fraud in this country, or in this state. In fact, state audits have proven there is nearly zero fraud, and the small amount found was quickly corrected and never affected the outcome of any of Utah’s elections. I think it is criminally irresponsible and anti-democratic to undermine the integrity of our elections as a partisan voter suppression technique.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I strongly believe politicians must represent us, not rule us. Therefore, I will seek and encourage constituents' and subject matter experts’ input. I won’t be annoyed by it or ignore it when I personally disagree. Nor will I blindly support every position of my political party without considering popular opinion and the best interests of our citizens. As an engineer, I believe in common-sense, facts, and science. I believe good-faith compromise is healthy. I am running for office because I want to bring the voice of the people, constructive debate, transparency, integrity, and a more balanced viewpoint to Utah’s state legislature.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Women's Democratic Club of Utah