Sim Gill, the Salt Lake County district attorney since 2010, is running for reelection on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Democrat faces Republican Kent Davis.

Asked why he is seeking the office, Gill said in our candidate questionnaire, "I'm running to continue the important work we've accomplished in my tenure as District Attorney: building the programs that reform our criminal justice system without compromising public safety."

Gill has described the office as the largest prosecutor's office in Utah and said it serves as legal counsel to county government.

Candidate information

Name: Simarjit Singh "Sim" Gill

Party: "Democrat," Gill said in our questionnaire.

Family: "I live in Salt Lake with my wife and raised my two children here," Gill said.

Education: "I graduated from Kearns High School, attended the University of Utah to complete a Bachelor's in History and Philosophy," Gill said in our questionnaire. He added that he "pursued a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School … with a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental and Natural Resources Law."

Biography: Gill was born in 1961 in India into a Punjabi Sikh family, according to his Wikipedia page. He was admitted to the Utah Bar in 1993.

Experience and public service

Occupation and work history: "I am the current Salt Lake County District Attorney, and I have spent more than 30 years in public service as a public prosecutor," Gill said in our questionnaire. "Before being elected District Attorney, I served as Salt Lake City's Chief Prosecutor, and earlier in my career I prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases."

Previous elected office: "I've served as the Salt Lake County District Attorney since being elected in 2010," Gill said.

On the issues

What sets him apart from other candidates: "The biggest difference is experience leading a prosecutor's office," Gill said in our questionnaire. "I have served as both a line prosecutor and Salt Lake City's Chief Prosecutor, and I have led the largest prosecutor's office in Utah through serious public safety challenges, a pandemic, and major reforms."

He pointed to specific programs: "My office built Utah's first Mental Health Court and Veterans Court, a Pre-Filing Diversion Program, a dedicated victim services division, and a public dashboard showing every case we file or decline."

Gill also said he has pushed for legislative change, "sending 22 policy proposals to the Legislature, including revisions for how police use-of-force cases are handled."

Accomplishments: "Our Pre-Filing Diversion Program has a success rate above 92 percent, and our Survivor and Victim Support Services Division puts social workers alongside prosecutors to support victims through the entire judicial process," Gill said.

He also cited the creation of the Salt Lake Area Family Justice Center and Camp Hope, a program he described as being "for children recovering from abuse and trauma."

Data centers and development: Asked how he would advise county commissioners on data center and development deals, Gill said, "My job as the county's lawyer is to protect Salt Lake County residents and taxpayers, not to rubber-stamp deals."

He cited his environmental law background and said his office is "already part of the county's working group on the data center moratorium, helping craft rules that protect residents and withstand legal challenges." He added, "On any deal, I'll make sure taxpayers are protected with enforceable commitments, repercussions if promises aren't kept, and terms the public can see."

Endorsements

According to BallotReady profile data, Gill has received endorsements from:

  • Women's Democratic Club of Utah
  • Teamsters Local 222 (Salt Lake City)

Candidate responses were collected through the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words and have not been edited for content.