A Kamas woman could become the first openly transgender person to win an election in Utah, though she recognized there’s a long way to go before voters cast their ballots next fall.
Longtime resident and LGBTQ+ advocate Cami Richardson announced her plans to run for a Summit County Council seat last week. If she makes it through a possible primary and the general election, Richardson would become the state’s only out trans person to ever be voted in.
“I feel that [being transgender] should not be an issue. It should be about the person and my ability to affect change, to make a difference, to be a leader in the community. There are going to be people that are not going to be a big fan. … Other people’s opinions of me are not my business, and I just hope that it doesn’t become something that stands in the way of me being elected,” she said.
Richardson is running for the seat currently occupied by Vice Chair Malena Stevens, who is not seeking another term because of personal and professional commitments. Republican Byron Ames also announced his campaign for the position on Tuesday.
The East Side resident came out as transgender in 2016, more than a decade after she and her wife, Teri Cook, moved to Kamas part time in 2004. The couple became full-time residents four years later.
Richardson said the community has been accepting and welcoming of her transition despite eastern Summit County having a reputation for being more conservative than the rest of the Park City area, which is why she hasn’t been compelled to move to the West Side.
Communities in the Kamas Valley and the Snyderville Basin are experiencing similar issues with growth, development and traffic. They also share concerns about open space and conservation. However, Richardson said residents’ needs are much different when it comes to addressing those topics.
She recognized many people who live outside of Park City have been there for generations. It’s important to them to maintain a small-town agricultural spirit, Richardson said, which must be considered when officials approve buildings or preserve open space. Messaging could also be improved to help residents understand how they’re impacted, and why changes are being made.
“The Kamas Valley is a special place. I think they want to try to keep it as much as they can the way it used to be, whereas Park City has just evolved and changed. There was no stopping it,” she said.
Richardson first came to the Park City area in 1997 when she was working as the chief financial officer of American Skiing Company. She came to check out the former Wolf Mountain Ski Resort, now the Canyons, and found herself returning for various projects as well as the 2002 Winter Games.
She went on to own multiple businesses in the area, including the Park City local card, Park City Meat and Provisions, Summit County Beef and Beadniks — though her career started as a professional firefighter in Poughkeepsie, New York.
At 70, Richardson was inspired to run for County Council to continue making a difference in the lives of Parkites. She is a founding member of the Park City LGBTQ+ Task Force, which started in 2020, and has been active in numerous organizations throughout the community, including Park City Leadership Class 28.
She now wants to use her broad background in business and finance to make a difference in other “worthy causes.” For Richardson, this includes advocating for senior housing, saving taxpayers money and improving the inclusion of all marginalized groups within the community.
“People should just learn to love and be kind. That’s one thing we can do moving forward, especially in today’s divisive world, that would make it a better place to be,” she said.
Development, traffic and the environment are big concerns, too, particularly with another Winter Games on the horizon. Collaborating with communities across Summit County as well as larger state organizations such as the Utah Department of Transportation to address these issues is critical, Richardson said.
There are three Summit County Council seats on the ballot in the 2024 election, including the one that Richardson is vying for. Another Democratic candidate may also run for the seat, which means a primary election would take place. The winner would then face the Republican candidate in November.
County councilors Roger Armstrong and Tonja Hanson said they will run for another term. No challengers have come forward as of Tuesday.
The filing window for candidates to formally launch a bid for office runs from Jan. 2 through 8.