Gay 19-year-old Jackson Lewis called it “surreal” that he won his race to join the Canyons School Board, located in Salt Lake Valley. The victory made him the youngest elected official in Utah history.

“I thought, you know, this is a perfect way to get involved,” he told Salt Lake City’s FOX 13. “Not just in the political world, but education is just so dramatically important.”

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Lewis is a recent graduate of Hillcrest High School, which is located within the Canyons School District. He ran to bring a student perspective to the conversations around school policies. He plans to fight for raised teacher salaries, later school start times, and more free meals for hungry students. He also hopes to address chronic absenteeism.

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“We need to make sure students want to be in school and feel respected by the people that were there,” he said.

He’s also quick to emphasize that he’s not naive and understands it will take a lot of hard work to achieve any of his goals.

“I know it’s not just going to happen with a single board meeting, right? Obviously, that’s not how this works,” he said. “I want to reassure people who elected me I know how difficult this job is.”

“I think [Lewis’ election] really reflects the student voice in Canyons School District,” district superintendent Dr. Rick Robins told FOX 13. “Where he was just a graduate a year ago, I’m just excited to get his views on the district and how we can do better and improve.”

Lewis – who was endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund – wrote on his website that he first decided to run for office at 17 when he heard teachers at school lamenting their lack of resources and support. He also told Victory Fund he was inspired to run due to the threats state lawmakers made against vulnerable students.

In August, Utah became the first state to completely ban a list of books from schools statewide. In January, the state passed a law banning trans people from using ‘privacy spaces’ such as changing rooms and restrooms within public schools and other government facilities that align with their gender identities. 

Lewis said his candidacy has already inspired other young people to contact him about getting involved in politics. He advised them to talk to as many people in their communities as possible.

“I learned so much more than if I just sat online making posts about the election,” Lewis said. “Those conversations, those perspectives, getting into actual communities and learning the lived experiences of those folks, it’s going to make me a better politician, it’s going to make me a better board member.”

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