Rep. Kera Birkeland resigns from Utah Legislature

Despite winning re-election to another term in the Utah Legislature, Rep. Kera Birkeland announced Thursday she was resigning from her seat in January.

In a post on X/Twitter, Birkeland said she was stepping down from her seat to give more attention to her family.

"My family and professional commitments have increasingly required my attention away from home, a trend I anticipate will persist for the next year or two," Birkeland wrote in a letter she posted to social media.

Birkeland's replacement will be chosen by Republican delegates in a special election. That's the same process used to appoint Birkeland to the Legislature in 2020 when former Rep. Logan Wilde resigned after he was appointed as Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food.

During her tenure, Birkeland sponsored legislation to ban female transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. In 2024, she sponsored legislation restricting which bathrooms and locker rooms transgender people can use in state buildings.

Birkeland was hired as the director of policy for the Montana Grain Growers Association (MGGA) in July. That new position appears to present a direct conflict with her responsibilities as an elected official as the 2025 Montana Legislature commences on Jan. 6 while the Utah Legislature begins on Jan. 21.

For her part, Birkeland denies she would be unable to juggle the two positions.

"I’m not the lobbyist for MGGA. I mostly work on federal policy for them. The farm bill has been my priority with MGGA," Birkeland said in a text message.

Additionally, Birkeland's husband, Lars, moved to Montana to take a job on her father's ranch in 2023.

"We’ve been going back and forth between both our homes, for over a year. I work remotely (for all my work) but my parent’s needs are escalating— it’s not right to remain a representative when my priorities are pulling me so far away, so often," Birkeland said in a text message to Utah Political Watch.

In October, the state filed misdemeanor stalking charges against a woman who was harassing Birkeland and her family. Court documents allege the woman sent harassing messages to Birkeland and her children on social media. In one case, after Birkeland made a post on social media, the woman replied with a photo of Birkeland's home with the caption, "Is this you?"

Despite the alleged stalking incident, Birkeland says she intends to remain in Utah.

"I’ll keep Utah as my residence, my kids all live and attend school here. But for the next year or two, I’ll be between both locations. Several laws passed have greatly impacted development in rural Utah. That has created many needs for those I represent—they need someone who has the time to work through and advocate for them better," Birkeland said via text.

Birkeland's resignation is effective on Jan. 10, which is less than two weeks before the 2025 Utah Legislature begins. However, according to the Utah Constitution, her term officially ends on Jan. 1, 2025.