SALT LAKE CITY – The Democratic state senator for one of Utah’s most diverse districts is hoping to keep her seat as the state grapples with increasing immigration arrests and attacks on diversity.
Minority whip Sen. Karen Kwan first won the District 12 state senate seat in 2023 after Utah Democratic Party delegates elected her to replace state Sen. Karen Mayne.
In November, she’ll face Republican opponent Deidre Tyler, a retired sociology professor.
Seasoned legislator
Kwan served Taylorsville and West Valley for several years in the Utah House of Representatives before serving as a state senator for District 12. District 12 includes West Valley, Kearns, and Taylorsville. Kwan has served as the Senate Democratic Caucus’s minority whip since 2024.
Protecting diversity
As she seeks another four years in the legislature, Kwan hopes to protect the district’s diverse communities.
As of 2022, Senate District 12 had one of the state’s largest immigrant populations. It also has one of the largest concentrations of non-white residents, with 44% of people in the district identifying as a race other than white.
She told the Salt Lake Tribune that immigration enforcement is a major concern for her constituents. Kwan said she wants to see immigration reform that “respects due process, keeps families together” and targets dangerous people, not law-abiding residents.
In March, Kwan cosigned a message decrying US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s action in Utah—specifically a failed effort to put a detention facility in Salt Lake City.
Kwan has previously spoken on the importance of diversity. She strongly advocated against the 2024 law that banned Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs in state schools and government offices.
In a 2024 interview with The Atlantic, Kwan said she was against the law prohibiting certain discussions about institutional racism and sexism. She also criticised the law’s limitations on teaching—saying it limited what she believed should be mandatory training for doctors on racial disparities in healthcare.
As state legislators continue navigating the effects of the law, Kwan’s support for DEI continues.
In March, she voted to pass a law that clarified that guest speakers or lecturers may still share diverse viewpoints. The law also encouraged public universities to add yearly events meant to introduce students to new viewpoints.
Additionally, Kwan has advocated for Utah’s LGBTQ+ residents, calling the GOP’s ban on Pride flags an unnecessary attack on the community.
Ideas for the future
Kwan hopes to address Utah’s water crisis in the upcoming legislative session.
The entire state is experiencing drought conditions, and a quarter of Utah is in extreme drought. 2026’s record-low snowpack has water experts bracing for tough solutions to preserve water.
Kwan wants to introduce legislation to encourage outdoor water conservation.
Kwan, along with the state’s five other Senate democrats, has voiced concern over data center water use—specifically with the proposed Stratos Project in northern Utah.
The group of Democrats has called for more study into the potential impacts of the data center on water supply and the Great Salt Lake.
Senate District 12 voters will have the chance to make their voices heard on Nov. 3. Check whether you’re registered to vote by filling out our form below.
