Natalie Pinkney has made history on the Salt Lake County Council, becoming the first Black elected official to hold countywide office in Utah’s most populous county.
Because her family moved from the South to Illinois and then to the West in search of, as she put it, “a place where they could belong,” Pinkney is now focusing her efforts on tackling pressing housing and homelessness concerns.
The 31-year-old mentioned in an interview with KUER, “I ran on a bold future where every family, no matter their neighborhood, can thrive. I want to tackle housing. I want to tackle financial empowerment, making sure that we have vital services while keeping taxes low. How can we get to the root causes of issues?”
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Celebrating her win on X, she remarked, “I am so grateful to all of my supporters who made this victory possible. Together we have taken our first step towards a bold future — a future where every family no matter where they live or how they look will have an opportunity to thrive.”
The prominent Democrat gained attention after orchestrating the “Bans off our Beehive” rally, which attracted roughly 2,500 Utahns. She organized the rally after News broke in May 2022 that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade, taking away constitutional protections for abortion. Pinkney was at the time serving as vice chair of South Salt Lake’s City Council, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
While she was on the South Salt Lake city council, she fought for neighborhood protection from large corporations, established the Financial Empowerment Center, and voted against needless tax increases to protect working families’ hard-earned money, according to her website.
She intends to demonstrate to her people upon taking office that the county she has lived in for the last 10 years is a place where everyone can feel welcome.
Pinkney told The Salt Lake Tribune, “I know what it means to be in a neighborhood that’s ignored. I know what it means to be in a place where you don’t know what the future might hold. I know what it means to feel stuck.”
“I understand because if I haven’t gone through it, I know there’s someone in my family that’s gone through it, and that’s why I’ve been so authentic to give my story.”
To build a better future, Pinkney said she plans to promote government efficiency, empower working families, and be transparent on any plans requiring taxpayer funds.
Black women make up nearly 8% of the population but less than 5% of officeholders.
Pinkney ran as a Democrat for the At-Large C seat on the Salt Lake County Council in October, securing nearly 51% of the vote in a tight race against Republican challenger Rachelle Morris.
Pinkney, who has served as vice chair of the South Salt Lake City Council, graduated from Marquette University and received her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah. A small business owner, she was raised in a multi-generational family with her grandmother and her father.
“They really instilled in me community service and public service,” she told KSL At Night hosts. “That’s really stuck with me as I graduated from Marquette University, moved out here to get my master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah, and then started volunteering on campaigns.”
