John Taylor
Republican | Utah
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
John Taylor
Party
Republican
Election Year
2026
Election
Republican Primary
Race
State Representative, District 14
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Weber State University, Ogden, BA Psychology, 1993-1997
University of Phoenix, Salt Lake City, MBA - Marketing, 2003-2005
Army Basic & AIT, Ft. Leonardwood & Ft. Sam Houston, Basic Training & Combat Medic and Surgical Tech, 1993-1994
Reserve Officer Training and Advance Camp, Ogden and Ft. Lewis, Comissioned Officer, 1994-1997
Army Intelligence, Ft Huachuca, 35D Tactical Intelligence Officer, 1997-1998
WORK & MILITARY
Church Mission - Canary Islands, Spain, Church Missionary, 1991-1993
Weber State University Student Disability Services, Instructor, 1994-1995
Executive Officer & Battalion Maintenance Officer, 1st lieutenant, 1995-2000
Combat Deployment - Saudi Arabia - Air Operations Center, 1st lieutenant, 1998-1999
Buckeye International Inc., Account Executive, 2000-2004
Army Deployment - Bosnia SFOR 12, Captain 03 - Intelligence Operations Officer, 2002-2003
National Federation Independent Business, Business Consultant, 2004-2004
Bell Janitorial, Sales Representative, 2005-2007
Novo Nordisk, Institutional Account Executive, 2007-2018
Myriad Genetics, Molecular Consultant, 2018-2026
AFFILIATIONS
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Ecclesiastical Leader (LDS Bishop), 2013-2018
Davis County Republican Party, Precinct Chair, State and County Delegate, 2006-2026
Boy Scouts of America, Scout Master, 2000-2020
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
None
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Utah House of Representatives - District 14, 2026-2026
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
Utah Speaker of the House Mike Schultz
House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee
House District 14 Representative Curtis Oda
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Disagree
Roe V Wade has been overturned. There is no longer a constitutional protection or precedent for Abortion. HB0467 has passed in Utah but the Utah Supreme Court has imposed an injunction. The justification for the injunction is flawed and it needs to be challenged. We must do all we can to protect the Unborn.
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
There are always circumstances that need to be allowed including incidents of rape or incest or medical conditions requiring the procedure.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Agree
All evidence and scientific consensus shows that life begins at conception with the zygote.
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Agree
Clearly the later the stage of life progression, the more egregious the procedure. We should err on protecting life. These earliest stages of life should be protected because the slippery slope will allow for exceptions to drift into the later stages. Laws should be clear and defining and protect at the very beginning of life.
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Agree
All methods of abortion accomplish the same thing and to the same end. We should enforce all laws that deter this practice. We must fight against this barbaric and evil terror or we will bring upon us the judgements of God, our creator.
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Free markets must prevail. People should work to improve their lives and move toward something better. We cannot dictate to businesses what they should pay. Some businesses are just trying to survive. It's their decision.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Senior Citizens are being taxed out of their property. Government has overspent and the debt is unsustainable. Feds are exercising Quantitative Easing and printing money. This is the silent theft tax. On the other end, they are raising taxes for services due to inflation. They are taking from both ends. This is the most significant challenge we face and a monetary shift and reset is most likely the only option out.
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
Control Spending - Every bill that has appropriations must be scrutinized for full justification. It must be reviewed within the scope and purpose of government needs. Government wants cannot prevail when citizens are being taxed to oblivion. We need extreme austerity measures. Split the Legislative session into two periods. Many bills get rushed through at the end of session and they don't get adequate review. Reconvening a second session later, after interim, would give time to review.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Government rules and regulations cannot impose on the rights and freedoms of worship. Religions cannot impose laws that take away the inalienable rights of their congregations. Religious institutions must be protected from government encroachment. Individuals must be protected from some religious traditions if those traditions impose upon the constitutional individual rights. Government still should be allowed to acknowledge their supreme creator and allow prayer, etc. in their sessions.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Free markets should prevail. No business should be forced to provide any goods or services if they don't want to. Businesses should have the right to deny goods and services to anyone they decide. It's their risk they take. Individuals have no reparation claims on any business for any reason. Business owners should own all power and control over their business practices. In cases where a business breaks fair trade laws or is found to injure rights of individuals, we hold them accountable.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
I would stay with option C because the system and structure has been established and much disruption and harm can be done to abolish it. However, if there is a way to trend toward option D, I would believe that is the best approach. If we could start all over, I would strongly press for option D. There are too many seniors and poor dependent on Medicare and Medicaid so that is the most practical answer to avoid harm. However, we should make efforts to transition this toward D if possible.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
Having worked in the healthcare space for 25 years, I have seen some abuses of privacy data. We can never trust the government to have the data for any justification. There are too many risks to breaches of privacy. We can never let a government emergency like the COVID 19 pandemic be used to leverage away our privacy and our freedoms. The reality is that the government through modern day technology has all this information readily available and we already have our privacy data at risk.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
I'm an Army Intelligence Officer. I spent a significant part of my life looking at foreign threats. I used to brief the Joint Task Force South West Commander in my daily intelligence brief concerning the threats and China always has a section for it. Many other nations with new technology are posing a threat. We have many other threats and unfortunately, many of the largest threats are domestic. I will again take the oath to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Absolutely. Israel has been a target of all nation. They are a strategic ally. We should stand with Israel and aid them whenever possible. They also provide an ability for a stronger U.S. presence when needed. We have leveraged them for proxy conflicts for decades. They provide an economic, religious, and military benefit to the United States but beyond this, we share their same Judaea-Christian values. for the most part, Israel has exercised restraint and only retaliated with fired upon.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Disagree
I have compassion for those wanting to go through the process and rule of law to obtain citizenship. However, we have let millions into our country. Most are probably good people but there certainly was a significant criminal and terrorist element. All those who have a court order to leave the country and those who have been exiled and reentered the country illegally as well as those who are criminals should not be protected by any state. The increase of ICE was a response to Biden's Flood.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Agree
My mom worked for the State Board of Education. She can tell me first hand of the over-bloated bureaucracy it became. Everyone should research what the original intent of the Board of Education was. It has become a democratic political PAC. It's expensive and bloated and has never produces better education outcomes for K through 12. If they can't produce better education outcomes for K-12, what is the point of having them. Take the money saved and plug it into the end user schools needs.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Agree
I probably agree because of the cronyism it creates. We don't have a moral society. There may have been a time this was innocent but it just seems we have too many that are paying to play. Politicians and unelected bureaucracies have obtained power and influence over our education and foreign dollars are now just making it into the pockets of our own elected officials. I received a Top Secret Clearance and they scrutinized all these types of relationships as red flags. Can't be trusted.
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Parents have ultimate rights for all matters concerning their children. These states eroding parents rights must be stopped. To state entity or counselor or politician or even religious leader has any right above the parent's rights to raise their children. Parents are accountable to God for the trust of raising theirs and His children. Some cases of abuse clearly cause a forfeiture of parental rights and that has to be handles in accordance to the law.
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
I learned about Female Genital Mutilation in Africa in college. I never thought I would see the day when seemingly educated, rational, and sane people would become so insane. Children have all sorts of thoughts and feelings and we don't help when we "Validate" erroneous thinking and feelings. We should teach them how to cope and overcome whatever mental health challenges they face. We have done tremendous harm to kids who's brains are underdeveloped and cannot make these decisions themselve
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
We took millennia of precedent and turned it upside down. Redefining marriage was the wrong answer and it led to the slipper slope of people marrying their dogs and triggering the current phase of Gender confusion. It would have been better to call them civil unions and of course, our law would allow all of this. It is their right to live how they please and that cannot be taken away as per our constitution, however, we had no right, or authority to redefine what God defined in scripture.
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Disagree
There are some social challenges and problems that we cannot allow. We cannot allow gambling, drugs, etc. because they end up affecting all other citizens of the community. For example, increased drugs leads to increased homelessness. Increased Gambling would create too much addiction and overall societal harm. Tax revenue from gambling is not worth the societal cost. We should trend toward a more elevated moral standard. Greatest concern for founding fathers was societal degradation.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ above anything else. It is my ultimate priority for me and my family. If I can be of service any any capacity whether it be political or religious, I will do everything within my power to align with His will. He truly taught the perfect model of societal law. The closer we can align our personal, education, work, and community lives with his teachings, the more successful our democratic, republic will become. The Constitution was inspired of God, It has provided unprecedented prosperity and growth. With growth comes responsibility however, we as a whole, are abusing that power and responsibility. I believe, as the scriptures say, we are ripening in iniquity and triggering the judgements of our God.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
The most famous quote you will hear from political candidates is Benjamin Franklyn when asked "what have you given us? A Republic, if you can keep it." That part, "If you can keep it" most likely related to election integrity. If we can't have free and fair elections, we will loose our Republic. Utah does elections well, but there are states that cheated significantly. The SAVE ACT can't be applied to selective states. All Americans are injured by cheating and the law has to apply to all.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
This is the most ridiculous argument I have ever seen. Everybody that has ever lived, existed, breathed air on this earth has experiences unfairness, bullying, abuse, etc. to many variety of degrees. Accountability rests upon the abuser. Nobody merit reparations from a society as a whole. The Law already creates a system of justice for the oppressed and offended. Reparations are not justified for any reason as nobody could know how to arbitrate the reparation. Curious what lawyers think.
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
This is the most common sense statement ever made. No more obvious and wiser statement has ever existed in my mind. Anyone confused by this has lost all credibility with me. I see someone believing contrary to this as someone who can't be reasoned with. I will stand to protect our girls from this blatant attack. If we value girls, women, etc. we will protect them at all costs. We cannot let an immoral society create confusion around such a basic truth.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Strongly Disagree
Man-made climate change is a myth. It's an attempt to create an emergency and use fear tactics to gain more money, power, and control over our lives and our freedoms. We have had all sorts of weather phenomenon through the history of the world. If you really want to fix the weather, water, lakes, trees, etc. Get religious and become righteous and start praying to God for He along controls the climate and we are completely dependent upon his love and mercy. no amount of money will change it
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear. We must address energy. I would like to see Utah strive toward it's own strategic oil reserve. If oil and energy collapse, our entire economy grinds to a halt. Oil and energy would become more valuable than gold.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
I believe in aligning the best with the Constitution. I believe in protecting all parts of the constitution. I believe that our constitutional principals are being eroded and degraded - death by 1000 cuts. I believe we must make government smaller, less powerful, less intrusive, less expensive. I believe that government is necessary and there is a proper role but I believe it has swung too far to the left on the pendulum. I believe is hearing all differing opinions regardless of mine.
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
NO. Having served as a bishop, I dealt with some of this and I believe we need to be more strict on our laws in protecting children from predators, both in person and online. We should have stricter penalties and laws as a deterrent. As society becomes more immoral, there becomes a requisite to enact tougher laws. If society cannot handle the higher law, we must get tougher.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
NO. I'm a good law-abiding citizen. I have been vetted in the military when I received my Top Secret Security Clearance. The government spends 40K dollars investigating every and all aspects of my background. Maybe people running for political office should be vetted the same way, it might disqualify a few.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
Fairness in upholding the rule of law. When people are seeing a law enforcement activity, please do not interfere. you do not know the circumstances and you create a danger to yourselves. The Criminal Justice system should always be reviewed and improved. Because every circumstance is different, Justice can sometimes be out of balance and overbearing in some areas and lenient in other areas. We need good enforcement officers and Justices of peace. We should try and retain good officers.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
100% Online activity has become the largest threat. Children are being easily accessed and coerced. AI and technology has accelerated as such a rapid pace that we cannot keep up with the negative impact it is bringing. We really should start to scale back the amount of technology children have in the classroom setting and get back a little more to the basics. I would like to see more enforcement in identifying and capturing online predators.
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Agree
Any part of Sharia Law that breaches an individuals unalienable rights is not constitutional. Some might argue some aspects of the law are constitutional and harmless but looking at the law as a whole, if it breaches any individual rights, it won't stand. I believe people should be able to practice their religion how they want but it cannot be practices if that practice is contrary to individual rights and freedoms. Religion can only expel or excommunicate members as they deem necessary.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None. We have too many red flag laws that seek to erode the second amendment. I do not trust any government official that tries to impose stricter gun laws on any individuals because the intent is to degrade their 2nd amendment rights. I will fight and oppose anything that restricts our right to bear arms. There is a reason for this right. Hurricane Katrina had a mayor taking away guns because of the emergency. This can never happen again. We must create more favorable laws with guns.
