Published by Paul Ivinskas
Sunday, October 25, 2026

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Public officials and candidates

Cathy Callow-Heusser

Candidate, State Board of Education, District 1 · Democratic

Northern UtahSummit & Wasatch

On the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot

Cathy Callow-Heusser is a candidate for State Board of Education, District 1. The ballot lists Cathy Callow-Heusser, Democratic. The district covers all or part of Box Elder, Cache, Morgan, Rich and Summit counties.

Everyone on the ballot for this seat

CandidateParty
Jennie Earl (incumbent)Republican
Cathy Callow-HeusserDemocratic

Listed in ballot order. Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Amended 2026 General Election Certification (PDF). 2026 election guide

Education, technology and literacy

Cathy Callow-Heusser's campaign describes a career spanning software engineering, classroom instruction, literacy coaching, instructional design and program evaluation. It says she worked at Utah State University's Center for Persons with Disabilities before moving further into education. [1]

Her biography lists teaching at Cache High School, Bear River Middle School and Utah State University, including leadership of developmental mathematics and statistics at USU. It also describes work coordinating the Utah Multi-Tiered System of Supports at USBE and coaching educators in Utah, tribally affiliated schools and Alaska. [1]

She lists a computer-science bachelor's degree from the University of Utah and graduate degrees in instructional technology and education research and evaluation from Utah State University. These career and education details come from her campaign biography. [1]

Public-school funding and learning support

Callow-Heusser says money designated for public education should stay in public schools, including public charter schools. Her biography emphasizes structured literacy, support for students with disabilities and attention to learners affected by poverty. Those are her stated priorities and account of her professional focus. [1]

Her campaign's issue page identifies school funding, private-school scholarship spending, artificial intelligence, challenged books, bullying and school closures as subjects she wants voters to consider. The page poses questions about those issues; its headings alone should not be interpreted as detailed policy commitments. [2]

Her October 2026 questionnaire answers

In the Salt Lake Tribune's October 12 questionnaire, Callow-Heusser identified funding as the biggest challenge, opposed using public money for private-school vouchers and criticized a statewide approach to removing books. She argued that schools should be safe places for children regardless of immigration status. [3]

She opposed third-grade retention and supported a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in the survey's yes-or-no questions. These answers describe her campaign positions, not actions she has taken as an elected state board member. [3]

District 1 and the state board

Callow-Heusser is challenging incumbent Republican Jennie Earl for District 1. The Tribune identifies the district as including parts of Cache, Rich, Box Elder, Summit and Morgan counties. [3]

The state board sets statewide core requirements, while local education agencies choose curriculum and design programs under USBE rules. A candidate's views about reading instruction and books therefore touch both state policy and local responsibilities. [4]

Profile sources

Profile refreshed October 20, 2026. Candidate statements describe the candidate's own experience or positions; official records and reporting are labeled separately.

  1. Cathy Callow-Heusser — career and education biography · Candidate statement
  2. Cathy Callow-Heusser — campaign priorities · Candidate statement
  3. Salt Lake Tribune, October 12, 2026 — District 1 questionnaire · Candidate statement
  4. USBE — R277-700, General Core standards and local curriculum responsibilities · Official record

In the news

Sources

  1. Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Amended 2026 General Election Certification (PDF)

Office and ballot data as of October 15, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.

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