Trent Staggs

Trent Staggs (born May 10, 1974) is an American entrepreneur and politician, serving as the mayor of Riverton, Utah since 2018.

A member of the Republican Party, he previously served on the Riverton City Council and is a candidate for the United States Senate.

Staggs was raised in Orem, Utah, as one of 10 children.

He graduated from Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah, and served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tahiti.

He graduated from the University of Utah with degrees in political science and economics.

He later earned an MBA from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University.

He is married and has two children.

Staggs has been an executive in the direct sales, finance, and technology industries for more than 20 years.

After business school, Staggs worked for brokerage firm Morgan Stanley as the VP of online operations.

Following four years there, he started his own consulting firm, Staggs Management Group.

He also served as an executive of Unicity International.

Most recently, he served on the board of directors of clean-energy technology company Vivakor, which he helped take public in 2022.

He also serves on several corporate and civic advisory boards.

Staggs was elected mayor of Riverton in 2017 with 60% of the vote.

In 2018, Staggs initiated a biannual educational series to combat anxiety and other mental health challenges for students.

Staggs also led an initiative to reduce misuse of opioids in the city in partnership with Utah-based medication disposal organization called NarcX.

Staggs oversaw Riverton's leaving the Unified Police Department (UPD) of Greater Salt Lake in favor if one that serves exclusively the city itself, based on concerns that low-crime cities in Salt Lake County, like Riverton, were paying too much for the service and not seeing an increase in the number of officers.

In June 2019, the city swore in 35 officers for the new police department.

Staggs has also focused on Utah's statewide challenges of growth and water conservation.

In 2019, he rejected a proposal to increase the salary of the Riverton mayor.

In 2023, Staggs awarded Enes Kanter Freedom the city's first “Freedom Award” to recognize the former Utah Jazz player's efforts on behalf of “the Constitution, the liberties that are constitutionally protected, particularly freedom of speech.” To show his commitment to free speech in his native Turkey, China, and elsewhere, Kanter had changed his legal name to include the word “Freedom” the year before.

In 2023, Staggs was named Best Mayor in Utah by Best of State.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Staggs rejected shutdowns for his city, advancing instead universal and repeat testing “so children can still go school and parents can continue to work.” He rejected mask mandates, calling them "unenforceable" and a misuse of government resources, noting in an official statement that, "It seems disingenuous to me that the county would have created this order at a time when courts are shutting down and only prosecuting the most serious of crimes."

Staggs likewise led an initiative to help the local economic challenges from the COVID-19 lockdowns, which included the elimination of licensing fees for businesses and certain signage restrictions.

In May, Staggs announced that he was running for the US Senate against incumbent Mitt Romney, who announced he would not seek a second term on Sept. 13, 2023.

In an op-ed for Real Clear Politics, Staggs wrote that “If our children are going to grow up with the same opportunities we had, we need leaders who are committed to the conservative principles of smaller government, safer families, and stronger economy.” Staggs was the first candidate in the Utah Senate race to endorse Donald Trump's re-election campaign, particularly citing the former president's foreign policy achievements.

Staggs’ Senate run has been endorsed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Kari Lake, Turning Point USA, former Trump Administration officials Kash Patel and Ric Grenell, the Utah Republican Veterans’ caucus, the Utah State Fraternal Order of Police, Moms for America, and the Oil & Gas Workers Association.

Staggs has also been endorsed by more than 30 elected officials from across Utah.

In 2020, he was the Republican nominee for mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah, losing to Democrat Jenny Wilson.

In 2021, he was re-elected Riverton mayor unopposed.

During his term as mayor, Staggs has focused on public health and safety.