BOUNTIFUL—Rachel Terry is the first Republican woman to run for Attorney General and will be on the ballot if she wins in the primary June 25. Terry lives in Bountiful and has been on the campaign trail for several months to garner support for her bid to become Attorney General.

“There hasn’t been a female elected to the U.S. Senate from Utah,” she said. “Come on, it’s 2024.”

Terry grew up just outside of Idaho Falls. “I had an idyllic rural upbringing.”

She went to Utah State University for her undergraduate and Brigham Young University for her Juris Doctorate. 

“I spent eight years at Fabian & Clendenin,” said Terry. “It was a great place to practice law.”

Terry moved to the Utah State Board of Education. “I worked in litigation when teachers broke the law or were involved in sexual abuse to take away their license.”

She became Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Litigation and represented law enforcement officers, school districts and universities in civil rights cases. She also advised her clients on how to better comply with the law. 

Terry was also the Deputy Director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns and is currently Director of Utah Division of State Risk Management. “It covers all school district litigation, property damage of schools in the districts, budgeting, legislation, law enforcement and personal injury,” she said. “It’s really fun. I hear some crazy stories like a freezer full of eyeballs and the freezer went out. Some are tragic and some are boring but I enjoy this work.”

Terry said she’s passionate about becoming Attorney General. “I want to make the state better and do more to protect the state of Utah. My number one goal is to restore trust between the Attorney General and the public.”

Another goal is to stop federal overreach of public lands, education and energy, she said. “I also want to fight against online predators and social media. I support law enforcement and especially want to protect children and the elderly.”

A lot of people don’t understand what the Attorney General does, said Terry. “They think ‘why should I care?’ They’re involved in everything in the state. In Washington, D.C. they don’t think about public lands but it impacts us. Closing trails, energy development, agriculture, recreating on lands in rural Utah, they all impact us.”

Social media is being used to harm children, she said. “I want to give parents better resources and tools to keep kids safe.”

This is her first time running for office. “It’s been a positive experience,” said Terry. “My family was planning for the worst. When I applied for the job they thought people would be really mean to us.”

By and large people have been great, she said. “I like hearing their stories. Things like a man whose child was sexually assaulted, those stay with me. They’re the ones who have impacted me. People who are jerks sometimes are the most engaged and ask thoughtful questions.”

Terry said she brings to this position joy and love of the work. “If you make me your Attorney General you can be proud to have someone who is focused on the office and nothing else.”