Taylor J Paden

Taylor J. Paden, a 30-year-old lifelong Utahn born and raised in West Valley City, is a Democratic candidate running for Utah State Senate District 13 in the 2026 election. As a union organizer, community advocate, and university worker, Paden made history by forming the first union directly tied to a health system in Utah. Identifying as a Democratic Socialist, his campaign focuses on improving working people's lives, building an economy for the 99%, and defending workers' rights. Key policy stances include legalizing rent control, ending local cooperation with ICE, funding universal pre-kindergarten, increasing access to gender-affirming care, and protecting the Great Salt Lake.