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Luz Escamilla

Luz Escamilla
Minority Leader of the Utah Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 17, 2023
Preceded byKaren Mayne
Member of the Utah Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2009
Preceded byFred J. Fife
Constituency1st district (2009–2023)
10th district (2023–present)
Personal details
Born (1978-02-04) February 4, 1978 (age 47)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJuan Carlos Escamilla
EducationUniversity of Utah (BS, MPA)

Luz Robles Escamilla is a Democratic Senator for the Utah State Senate's 10th District and the Utah Senate minority leader. Between January 1, 2009 and January 16 2023, she represented the 1st District, defeating Republican Carlton Christensen for the seat on November 4, 2008.

Early life, education, and career

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The daughter of two Mexican college professors, Escamilla was born in 1978 and raised in Mexico.[1] After moving to the United States in 1996, Escamilla graduated from Marian Catholic High School in San Diego, California.[2] She then earned her Bachelor of Science at the University of Utah in business marketing in 2000.[2] She also holds a Masters in Public Administration, which she earned from the University of Utah in 2005.[2] Luz is married to former Arizona lawmaker Juan Carlos Escamilla.[2] He proposed to Luz on the Utah Senate floor during the 2014 legislative session.[3]

Luz Escamilla is a director for the Zions Bank Business Resource Center.[2] She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are often referred to as Mormons.[4]

Political career

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Senator Escamilla serves as the minority leader in the Utah State Senate.[1] Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. appointed Escamilla to the State Office of Ethnic Affairs in 2005.[5] In 2010, she received the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Pathfinder Award and the SBA Award. She has also received the Pete Suazo Memorial Award from the University of Utah.[5] Senator Escamilla has also served as a board member for the University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Regence Caring Foundation, the Utah Health Policy Project, and the Primary Children's Medical Center.[6] Escamilla was first elected to the Utah State Senate in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012.[7] In 2016, Escamilla served on the Executive Appropriations Committee and the Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee. She also served on the following Senate standing committees:[8]

  • Senate Ethics Committee
  • Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee
  • Senate Health and Human Services Committee
  • Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee.

In 2014, Escamilla ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Utah's 2nd congressional district as the Democratic Party's nominee.[9] The seat was held by Republican incumbent Chris Stewart, who won reelection.[10][11]

In 2019, Sen. Escamilla ran for mayor of Salt Lake City, after Mayor Jackie Biskupski announced she would not run for another term.[12] In the 2019 election, Escamilla lost, finishing second behind Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall. She conceded the loss on November 6, 2019, one day after the race, after initial hesitation to concede in the event that mail-in ballots could affect results in the run-off election.[13]

See also: 2019 Salt Lake City mayoral election

Electoral History

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2024

Utah Senate general election, District 10
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Escamilla (incumbent) 17,764 64.7%
Republican Kyle W. Erb 12,688 43.5%

2020

Utah Senate general election, District 1
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Escamilla (incumbent) 17,764 64.7%
Republican Jim Whited 9,681 35.3%

2019

2019 Salt Lake City Mayor, general election
Candidate Votes %
Erin Mendenhall 26,762 57.98%
Luz Robles 19,393 42.02%

2016

Utah Senate general election, District 1
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Escamilla (incumbent) 11,957 58.82%
Republican Fred Johnson 8,372 41.18%

2014

Utah's 2nd Congressional District results, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chris Stewart (incumbent) 88,915 60.9%
Democratic Luz Robles 47,585 32.6%
Constitution Shaun McCausland 4,509 3.1%
American Independent Wayne Hill 3,328 2.3%
Independent Bill Baron 1,734 1.2%
Total votes 146,071 100%

2012

Utah Senate general election, District 1
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Robles 10,490 55.3%
Republican Chelsea Woodruff 8,479 44.7%

2008

Utah Senate general election, District 1
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Luz Robles 8,910 57.2%
Republican Carlton Christensen 6,674 42.8%

[2]

Legislation

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2016 sponsored bills

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Bill Number and Title Primary Sponsor or Floor Sponsor Status
SB48 Board Membership Restrictions Primary Senate/ filed 3/10/2016
SB49 Statute of Limitations on Environmental Code Violations Primary Senate/ to Governor 3/15/2016
SB64 Special Group License Plate Modifications Primary Governor Signed 3/18/2016
SB66 Environmental Code Fines Primary Senate/ filed 3/10/2016
SB117 Commercial Interior Design Certification Primary Senate/ to Governor 3/15/2016
SB125 After-School Program Amendments Primary Senate/ to Governor 3/17/2016

[14]

Notable legislation

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During the 2011 Legislative Session, Escamilla pioneered groundbreaking immigration reform legislation, SB60, which would issue illegal immigrants already living in Utah an "accountability card," giving them the right to work without changing their legal status. Immigrants would have to pass a criminal background check and learn English to obtain the permit. Immigration experts have hailed Escamilla's immigration bill and Escamilla herself as "ground breaking" and "creative." While her SB60 did not pass, it was a model for a guest worker program that ultimately did pass the 2011 Legislature.[15]

Escamilla has also proposed a bill that would protect the rights of fathers against fraudulent adoption practices. SB 63 would have allowed a compact of states to share punitive father's records. This would help protect father's rights if mothers took their children out of the state without the father's knowledge. The bill was not voted on the floor before Utah's 45-day session was completed.[16]

Escamilla introduced a bill to fund the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to install air and water monitors at the site of the proposed Utah Inland Port, to establish baseline readings for future comparison.[17] An environmental impact study of the proposed port has not been completed.

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Sources

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  1. ^ Stuart, Elizabeth (February 20, 2011). "As Utah's immigration battle brews, Sen. Luz Robles maintains her voice". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Robles, Luz". Utah State Senate. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  3. ^ "Lawmaker gets engaged on Senate floor". KSL News. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  4. ^ Campbell, Monica (October 23, 2012). "Romney Alienates Latino Mormons". PRI's The World. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Par Excellence Award". University of Utah. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  6. ^ "Luz Robles Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  7. ^ "Robles, Luz". Utah State Senate. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  8. ^ "District 1 Senator - Utah State Senate". Utah State Senate. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  9. ^ Lee Davidson (April 27, 2014). "Utah Democrats elect Corroon as chairman, tap Owens in 4th District". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  10. ^ Riley Roche, Lisa (September 5, 2013). "State Sen. Luz Robles challenging GOP Congressman Chris Stewart". Deseret News. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  11. ^ "2014 General Election". Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  12. ^ "Sen. Luz Escamilla to run for Salt Lake City mayor," Salt Lake Tribune, March 20, 2019
  13. ^ Adam Forgie; Alyssa Roberts (November 5, 2019). "LIVE UPDATES: Luz Escamilla concedes to Erin Mendenhall in mayor's race". KUTV. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  14. ^ "2016 -- Legislation(Senate)". Utah State Legislature. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  15. ^ "As Utah's immigration battle brews, Sen. Luz Robles maintains her voice". Deseret News. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  16. ^ "2014 General Session Legislation Luz Robles". Utah State Senate. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  17. ^ "Proposal To Study Environmental Impacts Of Inland Port Gets First Approval".
Utah State Senate
Preceded by Minority Leader of the Utah Senate
2023–present 		Incumbent