Meet Ariel Defay, Utah’s newest representative-elect
She takes law classes for fun, has worked on retirement policy in the Ohio state legislature and has worked on campaigns in Ohio and Utah. Politics is in her blood. Her bio on X reads, “if Leslie Knope were a brunette Republican, she would be me.”
Meet Ariel Defay, the representative-elect for Utah House District 15 in Davis County.
Special election
On Nov. 2, Republican delegates in House Speaker Brad Wilson’s current district gathered to choose between four candidates to replace him when he resigns on Nov. 15.
During her speech to delegates, Defay touted her three generations of Davis County connections, beginning with a grandfather that began working at Hill Air Force Base after World War II. “Utah is the greatest place on earth to raise a family and to own a small business,” she said.
“I’ve always had a passion for civic engagement,” she told delegates, beginning with running for — and winning — student body vice president at Utah State University over 20 years ago.
During her time working as a senior legislative aide in Ohio, she learned the intricacies of the legislative process, how to craft policy and what makes good governance. The most important thing she learned, however, was that “good collaboration leads to good legislation.”
Through the ranked choice voting process, Defay was tied for first with one other candidate on the first round of balloting, then she took the lead on round two and cinched the win on round three.
A passion for politics
Defay earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Ohio University, where she and her husband lived while he attended dental school. She is also currently pursuing a second master’s degree, this one in legal studies.
In addition to earning a master’s, she worked for the Ohio House of Representatives and when she came back to Utah in 2010, it was with a lot of campaign experience under her belt. In 2018, the Romney for Senate campaign reached out and asked her to be their Davis County field representative, which she accepted.
From there, she joined the Cox for Governor campaign and helped create the “Women for Utah” group that supported Gov. Spencer Cox’s election bid. The group was led by now-first lady Abby Cox, along with Nina Barnes of Iron County, Jeanette Bennett of Utah County and South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey.
Not only does she have a passion for civic engagement, she’s been particularly drawn to state government. “State government has a huge impact on the day-to-day lives of citizens, and, it’s a little more low-key,” she said. She told Wilson that when he was done serving in the Utah House, she would be interested in running for the open seat. The opportunity presented itself a little sooner than anticipated.
Looking ahead to the 2024 legislative session
“Wherever they put me, I’ll be happy,” she said, speaking about potential committee assignments. When asked what committees she would like to serve on, she mentioned three: Education, Business and Labor, and Health and Human Services.
“I’ve been living and breathing education for the past 15 years,” she said, serving on her school community council and in the PTA, as well as working with her local school board. She currently has a child at each level of K-12 schooling: elementary, junior high and high school.
When asked if she has thought about specific legislation for the 2024 legislative session, she said that she doesn’t feel a need to run bills just to run bills, although a couple of future constituents have already reached out and asked for help.
She will be sworn in to the Utah House next week, on Nov. 15 at 5 p.m., immediately following Wilson’s resignation and immediately preceding House leadership races.
She and her husband, David, whom she calls her greatest campaign volunteer, live in Kaysville with their three children, ages 16, 13 and 10.
