Published by Paul Ivinskas · Politically neutral. No endorsements.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Utah, on the record.

Same sections for every candidate. Every fact linked to its source. How we stay neutral →

Public officials and candidates

Emily Buss

State senator, Senate District 11 · Forward

Official Utah Legislature portrait of Emily Buss
Official Legislature portrait. No endorsement implied. Photo: Utah Legislature (photographer uncredited) · Copyright retained by rights holder · Utah Legislature official member portrait

Politically neutral. Every candidate on this ballot gets the same sections. The party shown is the one the ballot lists. A section is missing only where we haven't yet found an official source for it. How we stay neutral

Salt Lake CountyUtah County

Office held

State senatorSenate District 11
See this district on the map
Counties: Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah
Service listed by the Legislature: December 17, 2025
Source

On the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot

Emily Buss is a candidate for Utah Senate, District 11. The ballot lists Emily Buss, Forward. The district covers all or part of Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah counties.

Everyone on the ballot for this seat

CandidateParty
Emily Buss (incumbent)Forward
Brooks BensonRepublican

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

Chief sponsor of 6 bills in the 2026 General Session: 6 did not pass both chambers.

From the Legislature's 2026 General Session bill records. Browse all bills.

Voting record

Utah Senate, 2026 sessions

The official record lists Emily Buss's vote on 1,083 roll calls in the 2026 sessions. The latest:

  • March 7, 2026 · Vote 2267Voted: Nay
    1st Sub. HB 212: County Formation Amendments
    2nd Reading, Passage on 2nd & 3rd Under suspension of the rules · Result: Passed, Ayes 17 Nays 12 Abs 0 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2266Voted: Yea
    3rd Sub. SB 181: School Discipline Amendments
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 27 Nays 2 Abs 0 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2264Voted: Yea
    2nd Sub. SB 165: Economic Mobility Initiative
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 28 Nays 1 Abs 0 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2262Voted: Yea
    2nd Sub. SB 304: Protective Order Amendments
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 21 Nays 6 Abs 2 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2260Voted: Yea
    4th Sub. SB 278: Development Authority Modifications
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 27 Nays 1 Abs 1 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2258Voted: Yea
    2nd Sub. SB 184: Justice System Amendments
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 29 Nays 0 Abs 0 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2256Voted: Yea
    4th Sub. SB 170: Vitamin K Amendments
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 22 Nays 6 Abs 1 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2254Voted: Yea
    2nd Sub. SB 149: Licensing Modifications
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 27 Nays 0 Abs 2 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2252Voted: Yea
    6th Sub. HB 492: Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing Amendments
    Final Passage · Result: Passed, Ayes 27 Nays 0 Abs 2 · Official record
  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2250Voted: Nay
    6th Sub. SB 284: Local Land and Water Modifications
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 24 Nays 3 Abs 2 · Official record

Votes are listed as the official record shows them, newest first. Source: Utah Legislature, floor vote records (le.utah.gov). Updated October 15, 2026.

Closest final-passage votes

The final-passage votes in the 2026 sessions that were decided by the fewest votes, with Emily Buss's vote. These are picked by the size of the margin in the official tally alone, not by topic or party.

  • March 6, 2026 · Vote 2133Voted: Absent or not voting
    4th Sub. SB 31: Office of Professional Licensure Review Amendments
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 0 Nays 0 Abs 29 · Official record
  • March 5, 2026 · Vote 1860Voted: Nay
    1st Sub. SB 312: Educator License Amendments
    Concurrence, Final Passage · Result: Ayes 15 Nays 14 Abs 0 · Official record
  • March 3, 2026 · Vote 1626Voted: Nay
    4th Sub. SB 97: Tax Revenue Amendments
    3rd Reading, Final Passage · Result: Failed, Ayes 14 Nays 15 Abs 0 · Official record
  • February 27, 2026 · Vote 1435Voted: Yea
    SB 169: High School Graduation Amendments
    3rd Reading, Final Passage · Result: Failed, Ayes 13 Nays 12 Abs 4 · Official record
  • February 10, 2026 · Vote 381Voted: Yea
    SB 137: Homeless Services Board Amendments
    3rd Reading, Final Passage · Result: Failed, Ayes 13 Nays 11 Abs 5 · Official record

All votes by Emily Buss

Work and affiliations

The Utah Legislature's roster lists Emily Buss's profession as Executive Director and Social Service Worker and her education as a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho. It lists her professional affiliations as member of the Utah Nonprofits Association and the Valley Crossroads Chamber, the Eagle Mountain City Public Library Advisory Board, chair of the board of the Birthday Box Foundation, and the advisory board of The Wellness Farm Foundation. [1] [2]

The roster lists these recognitions: the Utah Philanthropy Day Heart & Hands Award, 2025 Nonprofit of the Year, the Elevate Business Impact Award, and a place in the 2025 cohort of 100 Companies Championing Women as an executive director and founder. Buss has served in the Senate since December 17, 2025. [1]

2026 legislative work

In the 2026 General Session, Emily Buss was chief sponsor of S.B. 189, School District Funding Amendments. It would have set up optional high growth transition loan arrangements between successor districts when a school district splits, with criteria for identifying high-growth districts and state board tracking and model policies. The Senate passed it, but the House did not bring it to a final vote, and it was filed on March 6, 2026. [3]

In the 2026 General Session, Emily Buss was chief sponsor of S.B. 247, Road Funding Amendments. It would have changed the minimum average rack price of motor fuel used to calculate fuel tax rates. It failed in the Senate, and it was filed on March 6, 2026. [4]

Public service

Emily Buss, of Eagle Mountain, won a Utah Forward Party preference poll in December 2025 to succeed Sen. Daniel Thatcher in Senate District 11. She received more than 47% of the 1,324 votes in a five-candidate approval-voting poll that the party opened to all active voters in the district, according to KSL. [5]

Profile sources

Profile refreshed October 29, 2026. Candidate statements describe the candidate's own experience or positions; official records and reporting are labeled separately.

  1. Utah Legislature, legislator roster data (le.utah.gov) · Official record
  2. Utah Senate, Emily Buss · Official record
  3. Utah Legislature, S.B. 189 School District Funding Amendments · Official record
  4. Utah Legislature, S.B. 247 Road Funding Amendments · Official record
  5. KSL: Emily Buss wins preference poll to replace Sen. Daniel Thatcher · Official record

From the Legislature's roster

Profession
Executive Director and Social Service Worker
Education
Bachelor's, Brigham Young University - Idaho
Committees

As listed by the Utah Legislature.

In the news

No Utah Ledger stories name Emily Buss yet.

Sources

  1. Utah Legislature, legislator roster data (le.utah.gov)
  2. Utah Senate, Emily Buss
  3. Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Amended 2026 General Election Certification (PDF)
  4. Utah Senate, Emily Buss
  5. KSL: Emily Buss wins preference poll to replace Sen. Daniel Thatcher

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