Why Utah’s first Black woman in the Legislature isn’t running for reelection

SALT LAKE CITY – Rep. Sandra Hollins, the first Black woman to serve in the Utah Legislature, announced she will not seek reelection next year.

Hollins, a Democrat from Salt Lake City, first took office in 2015 and announced her plans in a social media post Tuesday afternoon. She will serve out the remainder of her current term, which concludes at the end of next year.

“After deep reflection and many conversations with my family, I have decided the 2026 general session will be my last. I will not seek reelection to the Utah House of Representatives next year,” she said in a post on Instagram. “Serving District 21 has been one of the greatest honors of my life. When I was first elected, I became the first Black woman to serve in the Utah Legislature. I carried that responsibility with humility and determination.”

Hollins told KSL the decision to leave the Legislature comes as her mother deals with health issues in Louisiana. The lawmaker said she needs to be able to go and help take care of her.

“Being a caregiver, it takes a lot of time,” Hollins said. “I didn’t think it was fair for me after this next session – this next year – to continue in this position and not being able to give it my full attention. I thought it was best that I step back and let somebody else take the lead in the district.”

Hollins said she is not endorsing anyone yet to run for her seat, which includes part of downtown and the west side of Salt Lake City.

House Minority Leader Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, called Hollins a “trailblazer” who positively impacted the House Democratic caucus.

“We will miss her deeply at the Capitol, but I know this isn’t goodbye,” said Romero. “Rep. Hollins will continue to advocate for her community as she always has, and I’m sure Utah will continue to benefit from her service.”

Hollins was behind the 2022 law that created a state holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, which marks the anniversary of when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to deliver the last message that the entire U.S. was under control and that all remaining slaves were to be freed. The holiday was first celebrated exactly one year later, on June 19, 1866, but didn’t gain official recognition until more than a century after that.

Hollins’ bill ultimately passed the Legislature with near-unanimous support, and the representative said she was “thrilled” to see the state celebrate the holiday.

“I have been excited to see the number of people who are excited about this holiday,” she said during the first official celebration in 2022. “So, for me, it means a lot. It means my culture mattered. And it means that we get to celebrate a holiday that has been overlooked in this state.”

Hollins isn’t the only lawmaker to recently announce plans not to seek another term ahead of the filing deadline for candidates on Jan. 2, 2026. Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield, a former member of House GOP leadership, said earlier this month that she will leave the Legislature when her term expires.