Mayor Michelle Kaufusi is seeking a third term, and former Rep. Marsha Judkins is challenging her in this fall's election.
Kaufusi took office in 2017 as Provo's first female mayor. For the past eight years, she has overseen a range of accomplishments, including public safety improvements, expansion of the Provo Airport and extending public transportation to new areas.
“Every decision I’ve made has been not to get reelected or to get attention, but to do the right thing for the community,” she said.
As a Provo girl at heart, Kaufusi was born and raised in the area by her single mother. She noted that her family was always supported by the people of Provo, and she has always felt a strong desire to give back.
“This love and desire to always give back to the community is what put me right in the center of being PTA president of every school,” Kaufusi said.
After serving on the school board, she became interested in running for mayor. When she asked what the role would entail, she was informed there had never been a woman mayor in Provo.
Few Provo mayors have pursued a third term, but Kaufusi said she is determined to see key projects through.
“I asked my team, ‘Are you in it?’, and I asked them to be honest with me,” Kaufusi said. “All of them were like, ‘We love our job. We’re in it. Mayor, let’s go again.’”
This time, Kaufusi said she plans to focus on bringing a long-awaited grocery store to the west side and on maintaining Provo's status as one of the safest cities in the country.
Beyond these goals, Kaufusi said she wants to address complaints about neighborhood decline due to garbage and code violations.
“We are putting money behind our code enforcement group this year,” she said. “I want to see if we can make an impact and improve that as we go into this next 2026 budget.”
Many residents seem pleased with the work Kaufusi has done over the past eight years.
“I think she has done some incredible things, and she’s been supportive of active transportation, which I appreciate,” Stan Morris, a six-year Provo resident, said.
However, some residents are questioning whether spending more than eight years in office is counterproductive. Others are unaware of any progress made by Mayor Kaufusi and don’t have a strong opinion on her tenure.
Emily Craig, who has lived in Provo for 17 years, considers herself well-informed on local government issues. She said she has been impressed with many of Kaufusi’s accomplishments, including the city's awards, the new UVX stop on 900 East and the airport expansion. However, Craig still has concerns.
“I think Mayor Kaufusi could be more accessible to her constituents, and perhaps less concerned with public appearances and more boots-on-the-ground,” she said.
Craig made this comment in reflection of Provo’s reputation for being difficult with zoning laws and building permits. When she heard Kaufusi was running again, Craig didn’t have any super strong opinions, but questioned whether a third term is necessary.
“Eight years in office might be long enough if we have other qualified options,” she said.
Marsha Judkins, a Utah state legislator from 2018 to 2024, has returned to Provo to run against the incumbent. Her campaign is built on creating representation for the west side of Provo, resolving congestion and housing problems and bringing new leadership to the community.
“I wanted to come back to Provo and see what we could do here,” Judkins said. “I want to provide a different perspective, provide a vision and just make sure that we retain our quality of life.”
Judkins said she hopes to pull from her experiences as a state legislator, school board member and mother to bring positive change to the community.
“I’ve had to be so open and transparent in every position right up at the Capitol,” she said. “I feel like the more we can inform the people as to what we’re doing, the better the results we’re going to have.”
Judkins noted that Provo has been doing “pretty good,” but that it could be “great.” To achieve this, she said, every part of the city must be thriving — including the west side of Provo.
“Nobody is out to ignore the west side on purpose. But when the majority of those who represent citizens come from the east side, they just know the east side better,” Judkins said.
Judkins has lived on the west side for almost four decades. After hearing frustration from neighbors and community members about feeling ignored, she decided to get to know the east side better.
She spent four years on the school board, attending every community council meeting throughout the city.
“What I came to realize is that nobody’s trying to ignore anybody,” Judkins said. “It’s just when you haven’t seen the issues that are happening in another place, it’s hard to address those issues.”
Drawing from her experience, Judkins hopes to bring a new vision to Provo. This vision includes a desire for better transportation, growth before the 2034 Olympics and finding the best use for the limited amount of land in Provo.
As Provo enters its next election cycle, residents will weigh experience against the promise of new leadership — both represented by women committed to the city’s future.
“I’m always encouraged to see women run for public office,” Craig said. “It will be interesting to see who all the options are as the filing deadline approaches.”
Provo residents will have the opportunity to declare their candidacy this week. To stay updated on who is running for public office this year, visit: https://www.provo.gov/798/Election-Information