![](https://riponsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RIPON-Profile-August-2024-2.jpg)
Name & occupation:
John R. Curtis, Representative, Utah’s Third Congressional District, Founder and Chair Emeritus of the Conservative Climate Caucus
Previous Positions held:
Provo City Mayor (2010-2017); Owner, Action Target (1999-2010)
Book(s) you’re recommending to friends:
Fossil Future by Alex Epstein is a great introduction to realistic, environmentally conscious energy policy. I’ve also recommended Winning Practices by Mark W. Bitz to friends of mine who are interested in learning more about the US’s current place in the global hierarchy.
What, or who, inspired you to run for public office?
When I was a small business owner, we ran into a lot of difficulty with the city mayor. When there was an opportunity to run for that position, I took it. Serving as Mayor were some of the best years of my life and I look back on that time fondly. There are also a lot of people who I trust a lot. My wife Sue, and my family, have been my biggest driver.
As you look to continue to represent the people of Utah in the Senate, what will be your top priorities in the upper chamber?
Utah values are a priority for me. As someone who has watched most everyone misinterpret who I am, defining myself by Utah values felt like the closest I have come to accurately describing who I aspire to be. There is a reason we cherish Utah culture. These values are: pioneer traits, personal responsibility and taking care of others, and the belief in a higher being.
If someone could only see three natural wonders in Utah, which would you recommend?
Arches National Park is, of course, the quintessential Utah landscape. Seeing it on our license plates doesn’t do it justice, so I highly recommend visiting in person. Similarly, you will not find anything like Zion National Park anywhere else in the world. My personal favorite, however, is Utah’s highest peak, King’s Peak. While it is breathtaking in its own right, it’s also very nostalgic for me. When I was 13 years old, my scoutmaster wrangled a group of rowdy boy scouts to give us what would be one of the most profound experiences of my life.