Stacy Bernal
Stacy Bernal is a member of the Ogden School District in Utah, representing District 2.
Bernal (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Utah State Senate to represent District 3. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024. The Democratic primary for this office on June 25, 2024, was canceled.
Bernal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Stacy Bernal was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. She earned a bachelor's degree from Weber State University in 2013. Her career experience includes working as a manager and in the sports entertainment industry in Salt Lake City.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Utah State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Utah State Senate District 3
Incumbent John Johnson and Stacy Bernal are running in the general election for Utah State Senate District 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | John Johnson (R) | |
 | Stacy Bernal (D)  | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Stacy Bernal advanced from the Democratic primary for Utah State Senate District 3.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent John Johnson advanced from the Republican primary for Utah State Senate District 3.
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Utah State Senate District 3
Stacy Bernal advanced from the Democratic convention for Utah State Senate District 3 on April 27, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Stacy Bernal (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican convention for Utah State Senate District 3
Incumbent John Johnson advanced from the Republican convention for Utah State Senate District 3 on April 27, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | John Johnson (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Stacy Bernal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bernal's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My vast life experiences make me uniquely qualified to serve the residents of Utah as a senator. I know what it’s like to have struggled as a single mother to a child with disabilities as I put myself through college. I’ve used my hardships for good and today am a proven community leader, working tirelessly to improve the lives of underrepresented and vulnerable populations. I want to bring a thoughtful, fresh perspective to the legislature as I represent ALL Utahns. I am a proud Summa Cum Laude graduate of Weber State University, an elected member of the Ogden School Board, and a dedicated professional working in the sports entertainment industry.
- I will advocate for a balanced approach to housing development, emphasizing the creation of more affordable housing options while ensuring the availability of suitable housing for adults with neurodiversity and disability. Attainability, not just affordability, should be our focus, with programs aimed at facilitating pathways to home ownership. Development initiatives must be carefully planned in collaboration with local municipalities to address the specific needs of our communities, ensuring that no opportunity, including the dream of home ownership and building generational wealth, is out of reach for any Utahn.
- Drawing from my experience on the Ogden School Board and as a parent navigating the Special Education system, I am committed to improving outcomes for all students, particularly those requiring additional support. It's imperative that we adequately fund public education, ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed. The passage of SB215, the “vouchers” bill, in the 2023 legislative session raises concerns about accountability and allocation of funds. We must keep public tax dollars within our public schools, amplifying the voices of educators, students, and administrators to address the systemic challenges facing our education system.
- I believe in ensuring equitable access to essential services for all Utahns, regardless of their neighborhood or background. Priority areas for me include substance abuse and mental health services, support for people with disabilities, and child and family services. My personal experiences have acquainted me with the challenges faced by families navigating these systems, motivating me to advocate for consequential change. By addressing the shortfalls identified in research studies and leveraging my role on the Advisory Board of the Autism After 21 Initiative, I am committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable populations and delivering tangible results for Utah families.
Fair and affordable housing, disability advocacy, women's rights, and public education.
At the lowest point in my life, I was going through a divorce, my son got his autism diagnosis, and I was waiting tables and barely scraping by financially. I was filled with dread and despair, constantly faced with feelings of failure. I was working at a local brewery and was asked to participate on a relay team of five to run the Ogden Marathon in 2008. I wasn't a runner, but I thought it would be a fun challenge to train for and run the first seven miles of the race. The day of the race was amazing, and I decided to return in 2009 to run my first full marathon, all 26.2 miles. Becoming a marathoner taught me so much about myself- that I am gritty, determined, strong, and capable of doing hard things. Since crossing that finish line, I've gone on to accomplish incredible feats, from graduating college as a 36-year-old to authoring a memoir to becoming a TEDx speaker and now pivoting to make history in Utah politics. I have survived hardships that have taught me to be empathetic, vulnerable, and tenacious. Above all, I have a deep and wide commitment to historically underserved and underrepresented communities. My lived experience fuels my fire to live authentically, honestly, and courageously, and to hopefully inspire others to do the same.
In 2022, Ogden School District had a $2 million shortfall for special education funding. The Ogden School Board had to hold a meeting to raise taxes and two people came to give public comment. One was a single mother. Her child and peers were already struggling and now the additional burden was falling to our families. She told us that a tax increase of even $50 a year would have a devastating effect on her and her child.
I saw myself in this woman.
This is a problem that could and should have been solved by our state legislature but now we were being forced to pass along a tax increase to our district in order to fund basic programs. We all had to vote to increase taxes to fund our schools in front of these struggling families.
Being part of the school board, I saw that the trickle-down effect from our current leadership was truly impacting and harming already struggling families.
Our residents and families are rightfully concerned with real issues [are they going to be able to pay their bills this month, are they going to be able to feed their kids, are they going to be able to keep their family safe?]. They’re not concerned with who is scoring political points or fighting culture wars.
I know what it’s like to have struggled as a single mother to a child with disabilities as I put myself through college. I know what it’s like to work multiple jobs to support my family. I actually understand the experiences of the voters and families in our district. My experience is not unique, but in the legislature, it would be.
I am running for Senate to uplift families and residents by ensuring that advancement is shared fairly, leaving no voice unheard and no opportunity out of reach.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Utah State Senate District 3 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 15, 2024
