Jeffrey Lipe

Jeffrey Lipe is the Democratic candidate for the Utah House of Representatives, District 74, in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing incumbent Republican Neil Walter.[1] A retired U.S. Navy veteran and former defense contractor and federal employee, he said in a Ballotpedia survey that he wants to bring more transparency and balance to the legislature.[1][2]

Lipe served in the U.S. Navy from 1978 to 1983 and is retired as of 2026, according to Ballotpedia.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he worked as a defense contractor for 15 years and then for 22 years as a Department of Defense federal employee, as a software engineer, systems engineer and software development manager.[2] He said he holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's degree in software engineering, lived and worked in Virginia for 37 years, and moved to St. George, Utah, after retiring in 2020.[2]

Lipe said he was a Republican for 44 years, an independent from about 2022 to 2025, and became a Democrat in 2025.[2] Among his stated priorities, he said he supports a living wage and organized labor, opposes approving major projects such as hyperscale data centers without public comment and review, and opposes mass surveillance systems such as Flock cameras.[2] He listed an endorsement from the Women's Democratic Club of Utah.[2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.