Jake Fitisemanu
Jake Fitisemanu | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 30th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Judy Weeks-Rohner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | New Zealand |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Westminster University (BS, MPH) |
| Website | Legislature website Campaign website |
Jacob James Fitisemanu Jr. is an American public health professional and politician serving as a member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 30th district since 2025. A Democrat, he is one of the first Samoans elected to the Utah State Legislature alongside Verona Mauga.
Early life and education
[edit]Fitisemanu was born in New Zealand and raised in Hawaii and Utah. He is the oldest of eight children, raised by an American mother with Korean and Chinese ancestry, Karen Jun Lin Dang, and a Samoan father, Sauaga Jacob Fitisemanu.[1] He earned a Bachelor of Science in social studies and a Masters of Public Health from Westminster University.[2]
Career
[edit]
Fitisemanu worked as a community health program manager at Intermountain Healthcare and associate instructor at the University of Utah teaching community health dynamics.[3] He co-founded the Utah Pacific Islanders Health Coalition, where he worked to combat high rates of obesity and diabetes in the local Pacific Islander community.[4]
President Barack Obama appointed him to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, where he served until his resignation in 2017.[4] He also served two elected terms on the U.S. Census Bureau's National Advisory Committee.[2]
He was elected to the West Valley City council in 2017, defeating a 16-year incumbent and becoming the city's first Pacific Islander councilmember, and he was re-elected in 2022.[4][2]
Utah House of Representatives
[edit]Fitisemanu ran for the Utah House of Representatives in 2024 for the 30th district, where Republican incumbent Judy Weeks-Rohner was retiring to run for Utah State Senate. He defeated former representative Fred Cox in the general election.[5] Alongside Verona Mauga, this made him one of the first Samoans elected to the Utah State Legislature.
Personal life
[edit]Fitisemanu and his wife, Lucia Carvalho, and their two daughters reside in West Valley City, Utah. He holds the Samoan chiefly title "Laufou," bestowed upon him by the village of Toamua-Puipa'a.[2] His uncle, John, was the chief plaintiff in Fitisemanu v. United States.[4]
Electoral history
[edit]2024
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jake Fitisemanu | 7,371 | 52.53% | |
| Republican | Fred Cox | 6,662 | 47.47% | |
| Total votes | 14,033 | 100% | ||
References
[edit]- ^ Davidson, Lee (September 13, 2018). "Census: West Valley City is now 'minority majority,' where minority groups outnumber the white population". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Rising Stars: Meet Jake Fitisemanu of West Valley City, Utah". Voyage Utah. June 26, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ "U of U Health doctors looking to share health equity research with National Academy of Medicine for better patient outcomes". University of Utah. January 4, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Sarup, Eshaan (September 13, 2024). "Debate Persists Over Rights Denied To Millions From U.S. Territories". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ Cabrera, Alixel (November 7, 2024). "Democrats may gain a Utah House seat, but Republicans retain supermajority". Utah News Dispatch. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- Living people
- Democratic Party members of the Utah House of Representatives
- American people of Samoan descent
- 21st-century members of the Utah Legislature
- Asian-American state legislators in Utah
- American politicians of Chinese descent
- American politicians of Korean descent
- New Zealand emigrants to the United States
- People from West Valley City, Utah
- Westminster University (Utah) alumni