Aimee Winder Newton is a prominent figure in Utah politics, serving both as senior advisor to Governor Spencer Cox and as a Salt Lake County council member representing the 3rd district. The 3rd district encompasses Taylorsville, Murray, West Jordan, and West Valley. With her vast experience and expertise in public service, she focuses on several key areas to drive positive change in the state.
In 2020, Winder Newton ran for Utah Governor. In her campaign, Winder Newton stated that the top issues she would target would include high-quality education, supporting a stronger and more agile workforce, improving air quality, increased housing affordability, and enhanced infrastructure. Though she lost the election for governor, Winder Newton continues to focus on these issues. As a council member, Winder Newton takes on important issues facing Salt Lake County such as sustainable development, traffic mitigation, cleaner air, and affordable housing.
Winder Newton is the director of the Office of Families, which works towards finding ways to strengthen households so that their children have better outcomes. The Office of Families focuses on topics such as marriage readiness, protecting children from childhood trauma, limiting cell phone use in schools, and supporting parents. On its official website, Governor Cox is quoted to have stated, “Aimee is an effective leader with an impressive track record of visionary thinking, influence, execution, and public service.”
Winder Newton created and chairs the Salt Lake County Intergenerational Poverty Task Force, a collaborative effort to address the root causes of poverty and create pathways to economic independence for those in need. By bringing together community leaders, policymakers, and advocates, she is working to eliminate barriers and create opportunities for all Utahns to thrive. “We look to bring state, county, city, and school district leaders together to try to figure out how to help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. We were seeing this cycle where you have one family who was on government assistance, and then their children and their children will continue that. We want all kids to know that they can be successful no matter what kind of situation they grow up in. You can still grow up to graduate from high school, go to college or get other post-secondary training, get a good job, and provide for your family. Everyone can do that,” she explained during the interview.
Winder Newton additionally works to improve the criminal reformation system. She described a plan her team is currently working on: “One of the things we’re trying to do right now is figure out how we can help people who are incarcerated not keep cycling in and out of jail. We have some people who are dealing with mental illness or substance abuse addictions, and we want to make sure that we are giving them long-term help. We’re looking now at building a Justice and Accountability Center that helps with that step-down approach as they leave the criminal justice system so that they’re connected to other resources that can help them. We’re building a receiving center where police officers can take somebody who’s mentally ill to get help, instead of taking them to the ER or the jail.” This receiving center is scheduled to open in about six months.
Winder Newton is not currently planning on running for re-election, focusing instead on making the best out of the remainder her term. “I’m pretty happy just finishing out my term right now and working, doing my work on the state level, and we’ll see what happens,” she says.
From education and workforce development to environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation, Winder Newton is dedicated to serving Utah, saying “To protect and to serve, it makes my heart happy.”
