Mike Kennedy
Member of the Utah Senate
Assumed office
January 5, 2021
Preceded byDan Hemmert
Constituency14th district (2021–2023)
21st district (2023–present)
Member of the Utah House of Representatives
from the 27th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2019
Preceded byJohn Dougall
Succeeded byBrady Brammer
Personal details
Born
Michael Stevan Kennedy

1969 (age 54–55)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseKatrina
Children8
EducationBrigham Young University (BS, JD)
Michigan State University (MD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Michael Steven Kennedy[1] (born 1969) is an American physician, attorney, and . He has served as a Republican member of the Utah Senate, representing District 21 since 2023. Prior to redistricting he represented District 14 starting in 2021. He previously served as a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019.[2][3]

Kennedy was a candidate in the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Utah. He received the most votes among delegates at the Utah State Republican Convention (finishing 57 votes ahead of Mitt Romney) but was defeated by Romney in the subsequent primary for the Republican nomination.[4]

Early life and career

Kennedy earned his BS from Brigham Young University. While a student at BYU Kennedy took two years off to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[5]

He earned his MD from Michigan State University, and his JD from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School while taking law classes at night and running his medical practice during the day. Kennedy lives in Alpine, Utah, where he works as a family doctor for Premier Family Medical Group.[6][7]

Political career

When District 27 incumbent Republican Representative John Dougall ran for state auditor and left the seat open, Kennedy was selected as one of two candidates from five by the Republican convention for the June 26, 2012 Republican primary which he won with 2,586 votes (52.9%)[8] and won the November 6, 2012 general election with 14,335 votes (92.1%) against Constitution candidate Scott Morgan.[9]

During the 2014 general election, Kennedy faced Democratic nominee William McGree, winning with 6,997 votes (88.4%).

During the 2016 legislative session, Kennedy served on the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Political Subdivisions Committee.[10]

On March 9, 2018, Kennedy distributed a letter to members of District 27 announcing that he would not seek re-election for the Utah House of Representatives. He instead opted to run for the U.S. Senate. On April 22, 2018, Kennedy edged out Mitt Romney at the Republican Convention with 50.88% of the delegate votes. Romney came in a close second with 49.12%, allowing both to compete in the primary on June 26, 2018, but Kennedy would lose the primary to Mitt Romney.[11][12][13]

Kennedy drew attention as a vocal supporter of gun rights, even meeting with UtahGunExchange.com, a private gun exchange who would later have a presence at March For Our Lives near the Utah Capitol and the 2018 Chicago Peace March and Rally, where their militaristic vehicle included a replica .50-caliber machine gun.[14][15]

2016 sponsored legislation

Bill NumberBill NameBill Status
HB0081Government Employees Insurance Offerings AmendmentsGovernor Signed - 3/21/2016[16]
HB0113Health Care Sharing Ministry AmendmentsHouse/ filed - 3/10/2016[16]
HB0307Termination of Parental Rights AmendmentsHouse/ filed - 3/10/2016[16]
HJR010Joint Resolution Authorizing the Lease of a Portion of the Utah State Developmental Center's LandHouse/ to Lieutenant Governor - 3/7/2016[16]

Kennedy passed two of the four bills he introduced, giving him a 50% passage rate. He also floor sponsored three bills.[16] He has a 92.7% lifetime rating from the Utah Taxpayers Association.[17] Kennedy has an "A" rating on gun legislation from the NRA Political Victory Fund.[18][19][20]

References

  1. ↑ "Mike Kennedy's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Michael S. Kennedy (R)". Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah State Legislature. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Michael S. Kennedy". Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Mitt Romney wins the GOP nomination in Utah's U.S. Senate race". The Salt Lake Tribune. June 26, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Kennedy campaign bio
  6. ↑ "Conflict of Interest Form" (PDF). Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Michael S. Kennedy, M.D., J.D." Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Health Care. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ "2012 Primary Canvass Reports". Salt Lake City, Utah: Lieutenant Governor of Utah. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  9. ↑ "2012 General Canvass Report". Salt Lake City, Utah: Lieutenant Governor of Utah. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Committees". le.utah.gov. Retrieved 2016-04-01.
  11. ↑ "Mitt Romney fails to secure Utah GOP nomination, will face primary | CNN Politics". CNN. 22 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Mitt Romney comes in second place at Utah GOP convention, forced into primary". Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  13. ↑ "Utah Republican delegates force Mitt Romney into a primary election with state lawmaker Mike Kennedy in the race for the U.S. Senate". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  14. ↑ "Gehrke: The guy behind Utah's school safety effort embraces the gun fringe, oh, and he's also running for Senate".
  15. ↑ "Members of Utah gun group detained in Chicago during 'March For Our Lives' tour".
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "2016GS Bill Search Results". Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  17. ↑ http://www.utahtaxpayers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/F2018-Scorecard.pdf
  18. ↑ "NRA-PVF | Grades | Utah". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ↑ "NRA-PVF | Grades | Utah". nrapvf.org. NRA-PVF. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. ↑ "Who is that guy who beat Mitt Romney at the GOP convention".
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