Sutherland Institute names state Sen. Todd Weiler as new president

SALT LAKE CITY — A prominent Republican state lawmaker will serve as the president and CEO of the Sutherland Institute, the Utah-based think tank announced Wednesday.

Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, will step into the role in "early August," according to a press release from the institute. Weiler said he was approached by the search committee trying to fill the gap left when Rick Larsen stepped down as president in January, calling it a "dream opportunity for me."

"This was an opportunity for me to take two things that I love — politics and the law — and kind of merge them into one job," he told KSL's "Inside Sources" Wednesday. "So that was great."

The Sutherland Institute is a conservative-leaning think tank that is well known for hosting conversations with members of Utah's congressional delegation each year, as well as publishing policy reports and filing friend of the court briefs in cases involving policy issues. Weiler, an attorney by trade, said he wants to focus on growing the think tank's "footprint" and have the organization take a more active role in policymaking.

"We're looking at expanding potentially into some public interest litigation in the future," he said. "We just want to keep Utah safe for families and make sure that we have communities where faith and freedom can thrive."

Weiler also said he wants Sutherland to play a bigger role in developing future leaders "to become champions of the ideas of freedom."

Weiler was first appointed to the Senate in 2012 and was most recently reelected in 2024. He serves as Senate parliamentarian and chairs the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee.

The senator said he will begin to wind down his day job as an attorney but will continue to represent Utah's Senate District 8. He wouldn't say whether he would seek reelection in 2028.

"We'll play it by ear," he said. "I've never decided this early whether I'm going to run again, but we'll see how things go. I enjoy serving the Legislature, and Sutherland believes in civic responsibilities and has given me the license to represent my constituents, even if it might mean voting in a way that they wouldn't want me to. They never asked me to vote for Sutherland instead of my 125,000 constituents."

The Sutherland Institute employs several people who lobby on Utah's Capitol Hill, according to state records, and state Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, said Weiler continuing to serve in the Legislature while leading the institute "is a massive conflict of interest."

"Before I even ran for a state Senate seat, I quit a job involving legislative advocacy supporting the clean energy industry because for everyone involved in the conversation it was such an obvious conflict," Blouin said in a post. "This is no different."

Weiler disagreed, equating his situation to that of former Sen. Howard Stephenson, who served as president of the Utah Taxpayers Association while he was a senator.

"I'll be following the precedent that he set," Weiler said. "I plan on being a senator, and Sutherland will do what they do. And look, Sutherland's all about faith, family and freedom, and that's not in any way opposed to what my constituents are interested in either."

Other Sutherland leaders cited Weiler's "commitment" to those principles as reasons for the hire.

"Sen. Weiler's public service has exemplified a commitment to faith, family and freedom, which are the core of Sutherland's mission," said board Chairman Brent Andrewsen. "His track record of advancing religious freedom and empowering parents has helped protect the roles of faith and family in public life, making Utah an example to the nation."

The senator "has been a principled advocate, an effective leader and a stabilizing influence on some of Utah's most consequential policy debates," added Derek Monson, executive director.

Contributing: Joe R. Wirthlin Jr

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of former Sen. Howard Stephenson.

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