John Curtis (Utah politician)

John Ream Curtis (born May 10, 1960) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Utah's 3rd congressional district since 2017. Before his election to Congress, Curtis, a Republican, served as mayor of Provo, Utah, from 2010 to 2017. On November 7, 2017, he won a special election to replace Jason Chaffetz in Congress after Chaffetz resigned. He was reelected in 2018, 2020, and 2022. He is the Republican nominee in the 2024 United States Senate election in Utah.

A former Democrat, Curtis is generally considered to be a moderate Republican. He is chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus and a member of the centrist Republican Governance Group. Curtis did not support Donald Trump during the 2024 primary campaign, and his wife was "an ardent supporter" of Nikki Haley. Given his votes for bills such as the Respect for Marriage Act, analysts have generally considered Curtis' positions as similar to current Senator Mitt Romney's.

Early life
John Curtis was born May 10, 1960, in Ogden, Utah. His parents were Jesse Duckworth "Dee" Curtis (1927–2015) and Hazel Dawn Curtis (née Ream, 1925–2016). They married in 1955.

Curtis attended high school at Skyline High School, where he met his wife, Sue Snarr. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in business management. He worked for OC Tanner and the Citizen Watch Company before taking a position as the COO of a Provo-based company, Action Target, in 2000.

Curtis ran for the Utah State Senate in 2000 as a Democrat against Curt Bramble, losing 33% to 66%. From 2002 to 2003, he served as vice chairman and chairman of the Utah County Democratic Party.

Mayor of Provo
Curtis was elected mayor of Provo in 2009, defeating former legislator Stephen Clark with 53% of the vote on a platform of safety, prosperity, and unity. In the office, he focused on economic development, revitalization of Downtown Provo, and getting a beach at Utah Lake. He launched clean air and recreation initiatives, preserved Rock Canyon, and launched a blog widely read by residents. He also assisted with the purchase of iProvo, Provo City's existing fiber internet network, by Google Fiber.

Curtis was reelected in 2013 with 86% of the vote. In November 2016, he announced he would not seek reelection to a third term. Under his leadership, Provo saw various improvements, and he maintained a high approval rating, averaging 93% in his final years in office.

During Curtis' time as mayor, there was controversy involving the Provo Police Chief, John King. Allegations of sexual misconduct by King emerged, leading to a lawsuit in 2018 that claimed the City and Curtis did not adequately protect employees from King's behavior. Curtis responded to the allegations, stating that any meetings regarding King were focused on administrative concerns and that he never intended to discourage reports of misconduct. He ordered King to retake sexual harassment training following complaints and, upon learning of a rape accusation in 2017, requested King's resignation.

Awards

 * Community Hero Award (Silicon Slopes, 2017)
 * Civic Innovator of the Year Award (UVU, Office of New Urban Mechanics, 2017)
 * Outstanding Citizen Award (BYU, Office of Civic Engagement Leadership, 2017)
 * 2017 Freedom Festival Grand Marshal
 * Person of the Year (Utah Clean Air, 2017)
 * Person of the Year Award (Utah Valley Magazine, 2017)
 * Top Elected Official on Social Media (Government Social Media, 2015)
 * The Star Award (SCERA Center for the Arts, 2015)

2017 special
On May 25, 2017, Curtis announced his candidacy for that year's special election in Utah's 3rd congressional district to replace Jason Chaffetz, who resigned on June 30. On August 15, Curtis won the Republican nomination over Christopher Herrod and Tanner Ainge. On November 7, he won the general election over Democratic nominee Kathie Allen.

Tenure
Curtis was sworn into office on November 13, 2017. Since being elected to Congress, he has held more than 100 town hall meetings, including a "walking town hall" to the top of Mount Timpanogos.

On October 16, 2019, Utah Policy reported Curtis had the second-highest approval rating among Utah's four U.S. Representatives. According to the Utah Policy and Y2 Analytics poll, 45% of 3rd Congressional District registered voters approved of his performance.

On December 18, 2019, Curtis voted against both articles of impeachment against Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles.

Curtis did not join the majority of Republican members of Congress who signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. Curtis voted to certify both Arizona's and Pennsylvania's results in the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.

On May 19, 2021, Curtis and 34 other Republicans voted to establish a commission to investigate the events of January 6 modeled after the 9/11 Commission. Curtis did not vote to establish the Select Committee to investigate the events of January 6 that received only two Republican votes in the House.

In 2021, Curtis co-sponsored the Fairness for All Act, the Republican alternative to the Equality Act. The bill would prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, and protect the free exercise of religion.

On July 19, 2022, Curtis and 46 other Republican representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.

Conservative Climate Caucus
On June 28, 2021, Curtis announced the new Conservative Climate Caucus in a press conference at the Capitol. He serves as chairman and leads the caucus's 73 members, including representatives from every committee with jurisdiction over climate policy and various ranking members. The caucus's purpose is to educate Republican House members on conservative climate solutions that align with Republican principles. Curtis said, "Without Republicans engaging in this debate, we will not make the progress we need to make as a country. Any significant accomplishment in the United States has been bipartisan. The ideas that Republicans bring to the table are essential to meeting the goals that we all have for a better environment."

Sponsored legislation
On December 4, 2017, Curtis and fellow Utah representatives Rob Bishop, Chris Stewart and Mia Love introduced a bill to codify the Trump administration's reduction of Bears Ears National Monument by creating two new national monuments in the remaining areas Trump defined.
 * Bears Ears National Monument

On January 9, 2018, members of the Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition testified against the bill, including Shaun Chapoose, a member of the Ute Indian Tribe and Utah Business Committee.

On June 13, 2018, Curtis introduced H.R. 6088, the "Streamlining Permitting Efficiencies in Energy Development Act" or "SPEED Act". The legislation proposes streamlining the oil and gas permitting process by allowing Bureau of Land Management to expedite approval for drilling activities that pose little or no environmental harm. The bill would have amended the Mineral Leasing Act to establish procedures where an operator may conduct drilling and production activities on available Federal land and Non-Federal land. Community members criticized Curtis over this sponsorship, claiming it would omit the required environmental impact analysis and allow drilling on land without notifying the public or providing an opportunity to comment.
 * SPEED Act

On December 12, 2018, Curtis introduced H.R. 7271, the "Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking Act", the companion bill to Senator Orrin Hatch's legislation. The bill creates a Public-Private Advisory Council to provide a direct line to federal government agencies to streamline bureaucratic hurdles while empowering nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in fighting human trafficking.
 * Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking Act

On January 16, 2019, Curtis and Lloyd Smucker introduced the Government Shutdown Prevention Act. The legislation aims to end political game-playing and fix Congress's dysfunctional budget process. If passed, it would automatically continue government funding through a continuing resolution. The bill would implement a five percent spending penalty when the continuing resolution begins. Federal spending would be reduced by two percent 60 days after the first day of the fiscal year and by an additional two percent each subsequent 60-day period. Curtis said, "The American people expect Congress to do its most basic job: pass a budget and fund the government. If we can't, then we shouldn't get paid." Curtis asked the Clerk of the House to withhold his pay until Congress fully funded the government. He believes that Republicans and Democrats should be held accountable to find common ground to solve funding impasses.
 * Government Shutdown Prevention Act

On January 28, 2019, Curtis introduced the Transparency in Student Lending Act, legislation to improve the information provided to students and families taking on federal loans to finance higher education. The bill would require the disclosure of the annual percentage rate (APR) for federal student loans before disbursement. The APR assists borrowers by showing the true cost of a loan, helping students and their families make more informed financial decisions. Curtis said, "As the primary provider of the vast majority of student loans and education financing options, the federal government should provide a transparent and full accounting of associated costs and fees for borrowers. I represent the youngest Congressional district in the country with an average age of 26 years old; these students must be equipped to make the right decisions for their families and their futures."
 * Transparency in Student Lending Act

On February 1, 2019, Curtis introduced the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2019. The bill would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to adjust imports in the interest of national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate. Curtis said the trade war was mostly hurting small businesses and that he had "heard for months almost daily, if not daily, weekly from businesses it's hurting and unfortunately it's having a disproportionate impact on small businesses. And 99 percent of the businesses in my district are small businesses. We need to quickly resolve this because they're the ones who are least able to sustain it. This bill ensures their priorities will be incorporated."
 * Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act

On March 11, 2019, the Natural Resources Management Act, considered a highly significant public lands bill, was signed into law. The act consists of about 100 bills joined into one, including two proposals carried by Curtis.
 * Natural Resources Management Act

On February 26, 2019, Curtis spoke on the House floor, advocating for the Natural Resources Management Act. "The Emery County bill has been a locally driven effort and will bring long-term certainty to the area through various designations and expanding Goblin Valley State Park for better management," he said. "It will also generate millions of dollars to help Utah's schoolchildren through school trust land exchanges." The House passed the largest public lands bill in decades, establishing hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness across the nation, including a vast swath of Utah, and allowing the creation of a new national monument.

The Natural Resources Management Act is a public lands package that comprises over 100 individual bills, including ten locally driven pieces of legislation that directly impact Utah.

In May 2018, Curtis drew criticism after introducing the Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018. Opponents argued the bill omitted approximately 900,000 acres of wilderness in its proposed designation, including Labyrinth Canyon and Muddy Creek. Conservation groups accused Curtis of removing the existing Wilderness Study Area protection to facilitate coal mining. One of these opponents, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), ultimately supported the legislation.

On June 25, 2018, it was announced that the congressional subcommittee overstated environmental groups' support for the Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018. An aide to Curtis stated there was a mix-up and the record would be corrected. Seven environmental organizations were named as supporting the legislation in a June 18 background memo ahead of a hearing before the Federal Lands Subcommittee, but just one of the groups named said it was accurate to call it a supporter.

On July 10, 2019, Curtis spoke on the House floor to advocate for HR 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, legislation he co-authored to eliminate the per-country caps for employment-based visas and shift to a first-come, first-served process. Curtis, whose district is home to several high-tech businesses, said he regularly hears from leaders of those companies that they "do not have enough high-skilled workers … and demand continues to outstrip supply." He added, "this legislation will create a first-come, first-serve system providing certainty to workers and families and enabling US companies to flourish and compete in a global economy as they hire the brightest people to create products, services, and jobs—regardless of where they were born." After he spoke, the legislation passed the House, 365-65.
 * Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act

Curtis participated in a panel discussion at a U.S. Global Leadership Coalition forum on April 5, 2019, highlighting the importance of American diplomacy and foreign aid in bolstering U.S. national security and creating economic opportunities for Utah businesses. "As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am committed to supporting the vital U.S. government programs that protect our nation's interests abroad", he said. "Our global ties help to open new markets for U.S. businesses and create jobs for Americans, while U.S. diplomats and development workers overseas are preventing conflicts and wiping out diseases before they reach our borders."
 * House Foreign Affairs Committee

On February 13, 2019, Curtis invited the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee to join the Clean Air Challenge and find common ground to address Utah's and the country's environmental issues. Curtis then introduced the Provo Clean Air Toolkit, which contains strategies Utahns can use to improve the quality on personal levels and businesses can use on larger scales. He then asked the subcommittee to take the "Provo Clean Air Challenge Pledge" with him and the rest of Utah to pass along the clean-air initiative.
 * House Natural Resources Committee

Committee assignments

 * United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * Subcommittee on Communications & Technology
 * Subcommittee on Environment & Climate Change

Caucus memberships

 * Republican Governance Group
 * Republican Main Street Partnership
 * Congressional Western Caucus
 * Ski and Snowboard Caucus
 * Republican Study Committee
 * Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus
 * Problem Solvers Caucus
 * Conservative Climate Caucus (chair)

Political positions
Curtis voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Personal life
Curtis is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a two-year mission in Taiwan. He and his wife Sue have six children and fourteen grandchildren.

As a public figure, he has gained recognition for his expansive collection of socks.