Family man.
24-year retired Police Sergeant.
Public Servant.
True Utahn.
“I cannot be bought. I cannot be bullied. I will not bow down to political, lobbyist, or other outside pressures. My job, when elected, will be to represent you and the values of Herriman. With your vote, we can bring accountability to the State House and restore our values.”
-Sgt. Sam Winkler
About Sam
Sgt. Sam Winkler is a Utahn through and through. Born in Ogden and raised in Sandy, Sgt. Sam has called Herriman home since 2022 where he lives with his wife, Amy, and three kids (6, 10, 17). A 24-year police veteran, Sgt. Sam retired from law enforcement in 2022 where he spent over 20 years working for the South Jordan Police Department. During his tenure, Sgt. Sam was able to collaborate closely with officers and community members of Herriman.
“My dream was always to be a police officer. However, growing up I heard, ‘You can’t be a police officer,’ and other negative comments.”
Sgt. Sam proved them wrong by attending the Salt Lake Community College Police Academy and graduating in 1997. Sgt. Sam started his law enforcement career as a deputy constable in Salt Lake County then moved in 1998 to Escalante City where he was promoted to Chief of Police.
In 2000, Sgt. Sam moved back to South Jordan and worked up the ranks, earning the rank of Sergeant and assigned to supervise ten officers and forty civilians. Sgt. Sam worked in the community outreach unit, was the media spokesperson, and supervised the school resource officers, traffic officers, and the crossing guards. In fact, you are likely to remember his face from his interviews with our local media where he earned the trust and admiration of those media outlets.
“Collaborating with the community was the greatest part of my career. I was able to hear directly from them on issues within the community and collaborate to find solutions to the problems within the community. This is what pushed me to run for political office – collaborating with the community on finding solutions to our problems.”
Always family first, Sgt. Sam loves coaching recreation soccer for his children, camping and fishing all around our beautiful state, volunteering at his children’s school and church, and spending time just being with his family.
“My favorite memories are those where I am fishing and camping with my wife and children. Disconnecting yourself from technology and being in nature, you remember what is most important – family.”
Sgt. Sam worked with crime victims, families, children, people on fixed incomes, persons with mental health issues and those addicted to drugs…all the members of our community.
“I am running to represent District 49 in the Utah House of Representatives because I want to put the people back in ‘We the People.’ People run for office to push specific agendas to further their own good. I am running to represent the people!”
Sam’s Priorities
Education. We should not be pulling money from public education to fund private organizations. We should be paying teachers a living wage, investing in technology, ensure proper staffing, and making our schools safe.
Reduce or eliminate tax liability for those on Social Security. Members of our community now have to decide which meal they will skip and which bill to not pay in order to pay taxes. Wee need to work to keep these members of our community in their houses.
Remove restrictions placed on our community that limits our leaders on deciding what is best for our city. Our legislature has passed laws that were pushed by lobbyists that only benefit the corporation, not the community.
Ensure our city gets our fair share of funding for infrastructure. The developer-heavy legislature has placed requirements on cities which has increased density and overrun our streets and utilities. Investing in I-15 is great, but what good does that do if you cannot get there?
Increase resources for those suffering from mental health emergencies. Little space is available for those in immediate crisis where they are quickly discharged without getting the help they need. We need to make these resources easier to find and ensure they receive help before being discharged.
Invest in our first responders. Our police officers and fire fighters risk their lives to keep us safe. We need to invest in protective equipment, expanded physical and mental health insurance, and protect retirement benefits.
When elected, Sgt. Sam wants to:
