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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House Democratic Caucus announced its leadership team for the 65th Legislature on Tuesday evening after electing an all-female team just as the Utah Senate Minority Caucus did 12 days prior.
Rep. Angela Romero, District 25, is the first person of color and the second woman to serve as Utah House minority leader.
Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost, District 22 will be the minority whip with Rep. Sandra Hollins, District 21, as the minority assistant whip and Rep Rosemary Lesser, District 10, as the minority caucus manager.
"I am excited to lead our caucus forward," Romero said. "As Democrats, we have a critical role in standing up for working people and issues that impact our everyday lives. We will continue to champion good, data-driven policies that Utahns want passed."
Romero was elected in 2012 and represents Salt Lake City and West Valley City. From 2016-2020 she served as the House Democratic assistant whip and currently serves as president-elect of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
Romero's work in the Legislature has focused on marginalized communities and highlighting survivor voices. She sponsored the Prison Rape Elimination Act with newly elected Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, secured funds for the Statewide Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Prevention Program and created the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girl Task Force in Utah.
Dailey-Provost was elected to the Legislature in 2019 and has served on the House Health and Human Services, Government Operations and Social Services Appropriations committees. She served as the assistant minority whip and before being in government worked in several health care-oriented nonprofits.
Hollins was the first Black woman elected to the Utah House of Representatives and has been serving since 2015.
As a licensed clinical social worker, Hollins focuses her work on substance abuse treatment and advocates for services for Salt Lake's homeless population. She is a member of the Social Services Appropriations Committee, the Health and Human Services Standing Committee, the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Standing Committee, and the Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel.
Lesser was an obstetrician-gynecologist in the Air Force for 15 years before moving to Ogden where she worked at various hospitals and clinics for almost 28 years.
She was elected to serve the remainder of Rep. LaWanna Shurtliff's term after Shurtliff's death in December 2020. She is on the House Health and Human Services and Political Subdivisions Committees, and the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
