Ariel Defay
Utah State Representative, District 15 since 2024. Ran in 1 election in 2024, winning 1. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2028.
- In office
- 1 yr
- Since 2024
- Bills became law
- 14
- 17 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 7.6%
- Chamber median 6.7%
- With party
- 83%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +22.3
- Won 2026
- Next election
- 2028
- Nov 7, 2028
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Education · vice chair
- Education Interim
- Transportation
- Transportation Interim
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Department of Government Operations · Became law Mar 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Defay sits in the Utah House of Representatives
Defay is closer to the center than 85% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Christine Watkins, Tyler Clancy, Melissa Ballard
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:07 PM ET
With Defay’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans83%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills43%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the Utah House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Defay’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Defay | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 7, 2026 | HB 84: Dangerous Weapon Amendments | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 58–8 |
| Mar 7, 2026 | HB 377: Real Estate Amendments | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 53–13 |
| Mar 7, 2026 | SB 251: Local Health Department and Department of Environmental Quality Coordination | Yes | No | Yes | Passed 40–30 |
| Mar 7, 2026 | HB 539: Public Safety Modifications | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 53–10 |
| Mar 6, 2026 | SB 295: Intellectual Diversity in Education and Government | Not voting | Yes | No | Passed 48–23 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Defay was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Utah House of Representatives, District 15 | Won | R+22.3 | R+37.8 | −15.5 |
| 2024 | Utah House of Representatives, District 15 | Won | R+51.4 | R+37.8 | +13.6 |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $38.2K
- Spent
- $18K
- Cash
- $26.9K
Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor filings through Oct 11, 2026Updated Oct 15, 2026, 1:03 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Defay, Ariel State | Active |
Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor filings through Oct 11, 2026Updated Oct 15, 2026, 1:03 AM ET
Seats Defay has held
- Utah House of Representatives, District 15 · since 2024
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Defay has run against
- Anne Berbert (D) · 2026 election, won
- Josh Smith (I) · 2024 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office (unofficial)
How we know Defay
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/6d3d4043-1ec3-454c-a517-4036722c50ee
- Wikidata Q123506761
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET