Kent Davis, a Republican, is running for Salt Lake County Attorney in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Democrat Sim Gill is also running for the seat.

Asked in the Sandy Herald's candidate questionnaire why he is running, Davis said: "I was asked to take on a problem I'm unusually well suited to solve, and I would have been ashamed to say no because I was too comfortable. … My platform is simple: competence and accountability, not party labels."

Candidate information

Residence: Davis said in our questionnaire: "We live in Cottonwood Heights."

Family: Davis said: "My wife, Katie, is an attorney and leads an international conservation nonprofit, and we have two children."

Education: Davis said: "Juris Doctor, University of Oregon School of Law, where I was Editor-in-Chief of the Oregon Review of International Law. Executive MBA, Quantic School of Business and Technology. Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, University of Arizona. 2012 Pat Tillman Scholar. Army training: Officer Candidate School, Ranger School and Airborne School. Professional certifications in cybersecurity and privacy: CISSP, CIPM and CIPP/US."

Party: Davis said: "Republican. But party has no place in a charging decision. A prosecutor's job is to apply the same law the same way to everyone, regardless of who they are or how they vote."

Experience and public service

Davis described his background in our questionnaire: "Corporate Counsel and Director of Cybersecurity at Woodbury Corporation, a Salt Lake City commercial real estate firm. … I was a Deputy District Attorney in the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office from 2017 to 2021, where I prosecuted cases ranging from major crimes to domestic violence to special victims and murders. Before that, I was a public defender with the Pima County Legal Defender, an attorney advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, and a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Stephen McNamee."

On his military service, Davis said: "I also served in the U.S. Army with two combat deployments to Iraq … I earned the Bronze Star on that second tour."

Davis said he has "never held elected office" and has "committed to serve no more than two terms if elected to this position." He said he serves on the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct and is "the outgoing chair of the Utah State Bar Cyberlaw Section."

On the issues

Differences from other candidates: Davis cited a December 2025 state legislative audit, Report 2025-31, saying it "found the office's screeners made filing decisions without written standards, that 48% of a 50-case sample of declined felony cases lacked detailed reasoning (p. 8), and that the office lacks adequate performance metrics." He said: "I will put charging standards in writing, document decisions, and publish performance metrics … so voters can judge the results."

Data centers and development: Asked how he would advise commissioners on data center, water rights or development deals, Davis said: "The DA is the county's lawyer, and the first job is advice that holds up in court. On data centers, a blanket ban invites costly litigation." He said he would support "conditional use permits, independent water and power impact studies before approval, closed loop cooling instead of drawing on culinary water, noise and setback limits to protect canyon neighbors, and a guarantee that residents do not subsidize a facility's power."

Criminal justice priorities: According to his campaign website, Davis said he would focus resources on shootings, domestic-violence-related firearm cases and repeat violent offenders. He said he would establish and publish clear charging and plea standards and expand drug courts.

Endorsements

The following endorsements are listed on Davis' campaign website:

  • Dirk Burton, City of West Jordan
  • Tish Buroker, City of Riverton
  • Lorin Palmer, City of Herriman
  • Kristie Overson, City of Taylorsville
  • Natalie Hall, City of Bluffdale

Candidate responses were collected through the Sandy Herald's candidate questionnaire. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words and have not been edited for content.