Jesse West’s first-person biography on the Libertarian Party website describes him as a Salt Lake City attorney practicing family law. He says he grew up in Tennessee, first visited Utah in 2018 and chose to move to the state after finishing school. He connects his interest in skiing and outdoor recreation with his concern for Utah’s environment and the Great Salt Lake. In his congressional campaign, West calls for ending unnecessary wars and the federal death penalty, reducing taxes and opposing immigration enforcement he considers oppressive.
A 2018 ballot initiative, a court fight that began in 2022 and a failed repeal drive produced the map Utah votes under on Nov. 3, including a Salt Lake County district that leans Democratic.