| Margaret Dayton | |
| Office1: | Chair of the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee |
| State Senate1: | Utah |
| District1: | 15th |
| Term Start1: | 15 January 2007 |
| Term End1: | June 2018 |
| Predecessor1: | Parley G. Hellewell |
| Successor1: | Keith Grover |
| State House2: | Utah |
| District2: | 61st |
| Term Start2: | 3 August 1996 |
| Term End2: | 14 January 2007 |
| Predecessor2: | Lee Ellertson [1] |
| Successor2: | Keith Grover |
| Birth Date: | 17 May 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican Party |
| Spouse: | Lynn |
| Children: | 5 |
| Residence: | Orem, Utah, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Homemaker |
| Education: | Brigham Young University (BS) |
Margaret Dayton (born 1949) is an American politician from Utah. A member of the Republican Party, she served longer in the Utah Legislature than any other woman in Utah history. After serving a decade in the Utah House of Representatives, she unseated an incumbent senator in 2006 and served in that position until June 2018, when she resigned for medical reasons.[2]
She represented the 15th Senate District which includes parts of Provo, Orem, Vineyard, Lindon and Pleasant Grove.
Growing up in a military family, Dayton attended schools in five states. She graduated from Merced High School (California) and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Brigham Young University. Dayton worked for several years as a registered nurse.[3] In 1977, she married Lynn T. Dayton, a physician.Shortly after her marriage, Dayton chose to put aside her career as a nurse to become a full-time stay at home mother. The Daytons have five children.[4]
She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 1996, Dayton was appointed by Utah governor Mike Leavitt to fill out the remaining four months of the term of Rep. Lee Ellertson in Utah House District 61, a seat for which she was already running.[5] [6] She defeated Independent American Party candidate Gordon Norman with 90% of the vote in the election to retain the seat.[7]
In 2006, Dayton ousted Republican incumbent Parley G. Hellewell to win the Republican nomination for the Utah Senate, and handily defeated Democrat Bethanie Newby in the November 2006 general election.[8] Dayton won re-election in 2014 with over 80% of the vote against her Democratic challenger.[9]
Dayton served in Senate leadership, and on the following committees:[10]
Dayton has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Utah System of Higher Education, is a recipient of the Friend of Taxpayer Award and is included annually in Top Business Friendly Legislators.[11]
In 2017, Dayton announced that she would run to fill the vacancy caused by Jason Chaffetz resigning from Congress.[12]
| Bill Number and Title | Bill Status | |
|---|---|---|
| S.B. 23 Water Law Protected Purchaser Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 | |
| S.B. 25 Ballot Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 | |
| S.B. 26 Election Notice Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 | |
| S.B. 27 Absentee Ballot Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 | |
| S.B. 44 Construction Code Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 | |
| S.B. 62 JROTC Instructor Amendments | Governor Signed 3/17/2016 | |
| S.B. 72 School and International Trust Lands Management Act Amendments | Governor Signed 3/29/2016 | |
| S.B. 75 Water Rights Adjudication Amendments | Governor Signed 3/18/2016 | |
| S.B. 172 Utah State Developmental Center Amendments | Governor Signed 3/25/2016 | |
| S.B. 175 Fair Housing Act Option Amendments | Senate/Filed for bills not passed 3/10/2016 | |
| S.B. 227 Private Security Licensing Board Amendments | Senate filed 3/10/2016 | |
| S.J.R. 6 Joint Resolution Recognizing The 100th Anniversary of The JROTC Program | Senate/To Lieutenant Governor 3/15/2016 |
In 2013, Dayton sponsored a bill that would require Utah to collect data on women who undergo abortions, including their race and their reason for doing so. Dayton, who is known for her opposition to legal abortion, wants to restrict the pathway to abortion in Utah.[14] The Governor signed the bill on 22 March 2013.[15] In 2016, Dayton questioned whether the state should be providing housing to the homeless through House Bill 346, asking if the "bill is based on the assumption that housing is a right the government is obligated to provide? Is that why we are providing tax payer money for that?" Dayton voted against the bill; however, it still passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor on March 25, 2016.[16]