Candidates for Public Office
Kris Kimball for State School Board District 7: Restore Excellence, Protect Kids, Demand Transparency
Kris Kimball joins the PoliticIt Podcast to share her vision for Utah’s State School Board District 7—restoring academic excellence, protecting children, and defending transparency. With deep community roots and a legacy of civic leadership through Patriot Camp, she’s a proven advocate ready to serve. “These are the days,” she says, “to rise, rebuild, and remember who we are.”
Restore Excellence • Protect Kids • Demand Transparency
On a recent episode of the PoliticIt Podcast, we sat down with education advocate, conservative leader, and State School Board candidate Kris Kimball to talk about the future of Utah’s public education. Her message was clear—and urgent. With a vacancy now open in District 7, which includes Holladay, Murray, Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, and Draper, Kimball is stepping forward once again with a platform rooted in three simple principles: restore academic excellence, protect children from harmful ideological and technological overreach, and demand transparency from Utah’s education system.
This isn’t Kris’s first time in the arena—and as our conversation revealed, her experience, clarity of vision, and deep community roots make her a strong contender for this vital role. Below is a recap of her story, platform, and the key takeaways from our conversation.
PoliticIt Radio – She Stood (These are the Days)
The Vacancy, the Process, and Why She’s Stepping Up—Again
The opportunity arose when Molly Hart left her seat to become Utah’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. As required by state law, the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Republican Party nominated three candidates to forward to the governor. Among them: Kris Kimball.
But Kris isn’t just another name on the list. As she reminded us during the podcast, she already earned her district’s trust once before. In 2024, she ran for this very seat, won the Republican nomination at convention with nearly 66% of the vote, and engaged with thousands of voters and delegates in the process.
“I was actually on a tour when the vacancy showed up,” Kris told us. “I started getting texts and calls asking if I’d step up again. And I realized—I’m one of the only people in the process who’s already been vetted by the people of District 7.”
Kris also pointed to concerns about the selection process itself. Because the SEC includes members from all across the state, it means that delegates from places like Cedar City or Brigham City are weighing in on a vacancy in Salt Lake County. “We need to revisit that law,” she said. “This should be in the hands of local delegates—those who actually live here and understand the district’s needs.”
Two Decades of Grassroots Leadership
Kris Kimball’s work in education isn’t new. For nearly 20 years, she’s been in the trenches—attending school board meetings, lobbying at the Legislature, serving in Republican leadership, and raising her voice on behalf of parents and students alike.
She’s served as a county party chair in Davis County, sat on the State Central Committee, and advised lawmakers on education and family policy. But what stood out in our conversation wasn’t just her résumé—it was her roots.
Kris grew up in the Murray-Cottonwood area, attended public schools there, and sent her own children through the same system. Now she’s watching her grandchildren walk the same hallways. “When I say I’m invested in this district,” she said, “I mean it in every possible way.”
And the stakes, she argued, couldn’t be higher. “Less than 50% of our graduates are proficient in core academic subjects,” she noted. “That’s unacceptable. We can do better—and we must.”
Patriot Camp and the Fight for Civic Memory
One of Kris Kimball’s most enduring contributions is her work bringing Patriot Camp to Utah in 2011. Based on a model started by a group of mothers back East, Patriot Camp is a week-long, hands-on civics program for kids K–6. It teaches the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the stories of the Founders in a way that’s immersive, memorable, and often led by teens who themselves went through the program as kids.
“We have real people dressed as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin,” Kris explained. “They teach short vignettes that bring our history to life.”
The camp uses games, reenactments, outdoor learning, and even snacks from the 1700s to make history stick. Her grandchildren, she said, “absolutely look forward to it every year.” But the purpose goes beyond fun. “We’re building memory. We’re building patriotism. And we’re building future mentors.”
A Broader Movement to Restore Civic Education
Patriot Camp is part of a much broader renaissance in civic education across Utah—and during our conversation, we talked about the wider movement she’s proud to support.
We highlighted other projects working in parallel: Liberty Village, an immersive educational campus under development in Hurricane, Utah, and United We Stand, a mobile civics curriculum that brings foundational American principles directly into Utah schools. As the host of PoliticIt, I’ve been personally involved in both efforts, and they complement Kris’s leadership with Patriot Camp in powerful ways.
Kris sees these kinds of efforts—not to mention recent legislative pushes to reintroduce civics in high schools and universities—as vital. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence just around the corner, she believes now is the moment to help young Utahns rediscover who we are and what we stand for.
“We visited Federal Hall in New York recently,” she told us. “That’s where Washington took his oath of office. You stand there, and you realize—this history is ours. And it’s slipping away from our schools.”
From Education to Entrepreneurship: Learning Through Travel
Beyond classrooms and community halls, Kris has also spent over a decade helping people learn by leaving the classroom. Since 2012, she’s been a partner in Legacy Tours and Travel, a Utah-based company that offers educational trips to historical and cultural landmarks around the world.
She shared with us how this work began through her studies with Dr. John Hall, a scholar of Roman and Etruscan history. “We realized people learn best when they can walk the ground,” she said. “It’s one thing to read about the Roman Forum. It’s another thing to stand in it.”
Through Legacy Tours, she’s taken hundreds of Utahns to Israel, Italy, and key U.S. historical sites, combining history, scripture, and storytelling to create powerful, memorable learning experiences.
Why She’s Running (Again)
Toward the end of our conversation, I asked her why she’s chosen to reenter the race.
Her answer: “It’s really about my grandchildren—and yours.”
For Kris, the stakes go beyond curriculum policy or test scores. They touch on the moral foundation of a free society. She pointed to the Northwest Ordinance, which says education must be built on religion, morality, and knowledge. “Our founders knew what education was for,” she said. “Not just to make kids employable—but to make them good.”
Her priorities are clear:
- Restore Academic Excellence: End mediocrity and bring back high expectations.
- Protect Children: Guard against ideological indoctrination and invasive data collection.
- Demand Transparency: Open up the State Board to greater parental and public accountability.
With strong support from SEC delegates (nearly 70%) and a proven track record in the district, Kris Kimball enters this race with momentum and mission.
Conclusion: A Voice of Courage and Clarity
Kris Kimball doesn’t just talk about education. She lives it—through advocacy, curriculum, entrepreneurship, and family.
Our conversation on PoliticIt made one thing clear: Kris is ready to serve, and she’s ready to lead. She’s grounded in principle, tested by experience, and driven by a sincere belief that Utah’s children deserve better.
As the governor considers his final selection for the District 7 seat, the voices of families and local delegates should carry real weight. Kris Kimball already earned their trust once—and she’s ready to do it again.
For those who care about the soul of education in Utah, this is a name—and a movement—to watch closely.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Kris Kimball on the PoliticIt Podcast, streaming now.
🎙️ PoliticIt Podcast | Kris Kimball: “These Are the Days” to Restore Education in Utah
In this episode of the PoliticIt Podcast, we sit down with education advocate and State School Board District 7 candidate Kris Kimball to explore her bold vision for restoring academic excellence, protecting children, and demanding transparency in Utah’s public schools.
Kris shares her journey—from her deep roots in the Murray–Cottonwood community to her years of grassroots activism, and her leadership in bringing Patriot Camp to Utah. With a 66% convention victory under her belt in 2024 and a near 70% vote from the State Executive Committee, she enters this appointment process as a proven, trusted voice.
We also discuss broader civic education efforts, including Liberty Village and United We Stand, and how the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence presents a unique opportunity to reignite historical literacy in Utah’s classrooms.
If you care about the future of education in Utah—don’t miss this powerful conversation.
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