Feb. 2025| Vol. 11 Iss. 2
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ENTREPRENEUR AND BUSINESSWOMAN VERONA MAUGA BEGINS HER FIRST TERM IN THE UTAH HOUSE By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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record number of women in the Utah Legislature this year includes one who defeated two men in elections last year to get there. House District 31 Representative Verona Mauga defeated a fellow Democrat – the seat’s incumbent, Brett Garner – at last year’s party convention. Then, last November, she upended her Republican opponent, Bill Swann, in the general election. Neither race was close: 73% to 27% at the convention; 58% to 42% in the general. Now Mauga is representing nearly half of Taylorsville’s residents, along with just about as many constituents in West Valley City. “I ran a very robust campaign, knocking on about 10,000 doors,” Mauga said. “I felt good going into the election. But you just don’t know. We live in a conservative state. I was nervous.” About two hours after the polls closed, the first numbers in her race were released. Although they weren’t yet final, the lead margin told Mauga and her supporters they had won. One of the most excited Mauga supporters on election night was someone else who was awaiting her own election results. “Verona is absolutely ready for this; she’s already doing such amazing work in the community,” Sen. Karen Kwan said. “Verona knows the issues in the district. She is hitting the ground running.” Kwan first met Mauga about a decade ago, early in her political career, when Mauga worked on her Utah House election campaigns. Mauga was still a Kwan campaign volunteer in the fall of 2022 when Kwan was elected to the newly-reconfigured House District 31 seat. Shortly after that is when Sen. Karen Mayne resigned her position for health reasons. Mayne passed away last
summer, following a lengthy battle with brain cancer. A special election in January 2023 shifted Kwan from the Utah House to the Senate – and ever since then, she has supported Mauga’s effort to replace her in House District 31. “I am really excited about what Verona brings to the legislature,” Kwan concluded. “She has such a strong, unique perspective as a business owner. Her keen interest in our criminal justice process will also be very important. She’s ready.” Several years ago, Mauga joined family members in opening a bakery and café. Then last year, Mauga opened a new business. In a letter to the Salt Lake Tribune, she described how she believes each of those businesses have helped prepare her for her new task as a state lawmaker. “In 2018, my family and I opened Sagato Bakery & Café in Midvale (sagatofoods.com). Running a small business has taught me resilience, patience and the value of every customer. It’s also shown me how crucial community support is to success. No business, no person, no family can thrive without it. “As the co-owner of My Choice Utah (mychoiceutah. com), a business that provides supportive host home services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I’ve gained an even deeper understanding of the challenges many families face – finding quality care, balancing work and life and making sure their loved ones are safe and supported. This experience has strengthened my resolve to fight for policies that make life better for all families in our district.” Since winning her election a dozen weeks ago, Mauga has been doing what Kwan describes as “drinking from New West Valley Utah House Representative Verona Mauga began her first session a firehose.” Continued page 4 on the hill last month. (Photo courtesy Verona Mauga)
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