I’m Cristy Henshaw and I’m running for Utah County Republican Party Chair. My parents returned to Utah County one week before I entered the fourth grade at Windsor Elementary. The beloved Mrs. Anderson made us memorize famous quotes and great works of art over, and over. I would not come to appreciate her nod to the Trivium education model until I found myself able to test out of an art history class in college—many thanks to my great teachers in Utah County. I graduated from Orem High, played soccer at UVU, and hope to spend the rest of my life’s free time seeking out every hiking and cross country skiing trail in this incredibly beautiful place we all call home.

Like you, I have a deep affection for and connection to Utah County: it’s home. It’s where my husband and I chose to raise our  family. Our  three children have been handed my deep love for this county, its people, and the Republican Party.

As a mom first and always, a previous business owner and policy advisor, and 10 years as a  public school teacher, I have lived in and observed the many facets of Utah County. The Utah County Republican Party has been a staple in my life: I have served as a delegate, precinct vice-chair, and currently as my precinct’s chair. Fifteen years ago, I ran for the Republican Party National Committeewoman. And I had the honor and responsibility of being on a city council during my husband’s “Hoosiers Dream” in a small town in Idaho for two years where he lead their boy’s varsity basketball team to the state championships for the first time in 14 years—sometimes a man’s biggest accomplishments aren’t the ones you put on a resume.

While in Idaho, I kept myself busy writing political philosophy articles for the local paper and holding monthly meetings for the community where we made our way through prior to and including the Enlightenment Period writings; those writings that are answers on a test, or people quote, but rarely read; e.g., Locke, Montesquieu, Machiavelli, Paine, the Anti-Federalist Papers, the Constitution, etc. In the most recent past, I have passionately taken up the cause of data privacy and what that means in our changing world. I have assisted in the education of voting methodologies and the best option(s) for local municipalities, and I have recently begun to communicate to those same municipalities about the pivotal role they play in our system of government