Legislators / David P. Hinkins
“Typical” is the median of all 29 Senate members in the 2026 General Session.
In short
In the 2026 General Session, Sen. David P. Hinkins wrote 1 bill (0 passed), asked the budget committees to fund 4 requests (3 funded, $5.7 million in all), and spoke on the record 174 times. They missed 48 of 1080 floor votes (4%) and voted against most of their own party 67 times (7%). Based only on their votes, they are the 21st most conservative of 29 Senate members.
Where they land
21st most conservative of 29 Senate members · 21st most conservative of 22 Republicans
Hover or tap a dot to see who it is.
- Democrat
- Republican
- Forward Party
- Sen. David P. Hinkins
How we placed them
Placed only by their own votes: we took the 264 contested Senate floor votes of the 2026 session (where at least 10% voted on the losing side) and found the main line that divides how members vote, the same idea political scientists use to score Congress. No bill is labeled liberal or conservative by us; the conservative end is simply the side where most Republicans fall. More on how this works
See every Senate member in order
- John D. Johnson (R-3)
- Lincoln Fillmore (R-17)
- Daniel McCay (R-18)
- Brady Brammer (R-21)
- Wayne A. Harper (R-16)
- Keven J. Stratton (R-24)
- Scott D. Sandall (R-1)
- Chris H. Wilson (R-2)
- Heidi Balderree (R-22)
- J. Stuart Adams (R-7)
- Calvin R. Musselman (R-4)
- Ronald M. Winterton (R-20)
- Keith Grover (R-23)
- Michael K. McKell (R-25)
- Jerry W Stevenson (R-6)
- Derrin R. Owens (R-27)
- Ann Millner (R-5)
- Kirk A. Cullimore (R-19)
- Todd Weiler (R-8)
- Don L. Ipson (R-29)
- David P. Hinkins (R-26)
- Evan J. Vickers (R-28)
- Emily Buss (F-11)
- Luz Escamilla (D-10)
- Jen Plumb (D-9)
- Karen Kwan (D-12)
- Stephanie Pitcher (D-14)
- Kathleen A. Riebe (D-15)
- Nate Blouin (D-13)
Most conservative first.
Do they follow their party's stated positions?
Sen. David P. Hinkins measured against the Utah Republican Party platform (we found no campaign promises of their own).
9 of their 9 final floor votes on these bills went the platform's way · typical Senate member: 100%
Typical Senate Republican: 100%.
5 sided with it · 3 no record on it (of 8 positions)
Right to lifeWe strongly support adoption and oppose abortion, except to preserve the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest.No record on it
What they said: nothing found Bills: nothing found Votes: nothing foundNone of these bills reached a Senate floor vote. Bills checked: H.B. 232.
Right to workWe support the Utah Right to Work Law.No record on it
What they said: nothing found Bills: nothing found Votes: nothing foundNone of these bills reached a Senate floor vote. Bills checked: S.B. 178.
Immigration enforcementWe believe that current laws against employing illegal immigrants should be vigorously enforcedNo record on it
What they said: nothing found Bills: nothing found Votes: nothing foundNone of these bills reached a Senate floor vote. Bills checked: H.B. 294, H.B. 386, H.B. 287.
Parental rightsWe affirm that parents have the fundamental right and primary responsibility to direct the upbringing of their childrenSided with it
What they said: nothing found Bills: nothing found Votes: matchesVoted with this plank 1 of 1 times. Bills checked: H.B. 259.
Lower taxesHowever, we recognize that the power to tax is also the power to control…Sided with it
What they said: nothing found Bills: nothing found Votes: matchesVoted with this plank 1 of 1 times. Bills checked: S.B. 60, H.B. 235.
Right to bear armsWe support the individual constitutionally-protected right of the people to keep and bear arms…Sided with it
What they said: on the record Bills: matches Votes: matchesSponsored H.B. 214 (Limits lawsuits against firearm sellers and manufacturers to their own wrongful conduct); Sponsored H.B. 101 (Drops a duplicate background check for buyers already approved for a federally regulated firearm). Voted with this plank 3 of 3 times. Bills checked: H.B. 84, H.B. 214, H.B. 101.
Religious freedomWe claim freedom of religion for every citizen and expect the protection of government…Sided with it
What they said: on the record Bills: nothing found Votes: matchesVoted with this plank 3 of 3 times. Bills checked: S.B. 174, H.B. 204, S.B. 268.
Work requirements for welfareWe support requiring welfare recipients to work towards self-sufficiency.Sided with it
What they said: nothing found Bills: nothing found Votes: matchesVoted with this plank 1 of 1 times. Bills checked: H.B. 471.
Tap any row to see what we checked. · How we score
Bills they wrote
- S.B. 249 Public Employee Negotiation Amendments · Did not pass
What they've said lately
All 174 →H.B. 313 Landscaper Certification Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Presents H.B. 313, which amends provisions on landscape work, requires continuing education for licensed contractors who do landscape work, and coordinates with H.B. 40.
▶ Watch at 10:00Read what they said
Thank you Mr. President. This bill amends provisions relating to landscape work. It requires the division of professional licensing to defend, to identify a specialty contractor that may engage in, uh, landscape work. Provides continual education requirements for a license C that engages in landscape work and coordinates the provisions, uh, that this bill enacts with provisions of House Bill 40, Utah Construction Trades Licensing Agreements, ACT amendments. And with that, I'm open to questions. Say no questions to you for action.
H.B. 125 Department of Natural Resources Related Modifications Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Presents the bill, covering DNR rulemaking authority, law enforcement work periods, state engineer electronic records, a $5 million fiscal note for water litigation funding, lifting the cap on secondary water metering, expanding the USG board from seven to eight members, and alternative energy development tax credits.
▶ Watch at 51:00Read what they said
Uh, yeah, that was the, uh, the Department of Natural Resource Amendments and this department, uh, rulemaking authority clarifies that rulemaking authority can be enacted outside an advisory board and is also a division of law enforcement work periods, uh, that updates the language regarding the work pay period of DNR law enforcement employees to align with standard practices and an 80 hour, uh, in a two, uh, week period, or 160 hours in a four week period. Also, electronic records allows the state engineer to maintain its official records, either physical or electronic form. Also field notes and computations and maps, uh, both physical and electronic maps documents on public records also covers mineral lease and royalty contracts, uh, …
H.B. 468 Mobile Mammography Amendments · Senate floor debate (day 45) · Mar 6, 2026
Presents H.B. 468, which requires insurance coverage for mobile mammography in rural third through sixth class counties, states it has no state fiscal note, and says insurance carriers helped craft the language; then calls the question.
▶ Watch at 52:32Read what they said
Thank. Thank you Mr. President. Uh, what this bill, the breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. What this bill does is it provides, uh, the insurance companies have to provide, uh, coverage in the counties of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth class in rural Utah counties. And there's no fiscal note to the state here. And, uh, the insurance carriers were engaged in crafting the language to ensure feasibility. And with that, so I call the question.
Town halls, questionnaires, and attendance
Candidate questionnaires
None on file yet.
Town halls
None confirmed yet. Most town halls are announced on Facebook, which we can't search, so this list is incomplete. Held or went to one? Send the link to ontherecordutah@gmail.com and we'll add it.
Floor votes missed
48 of 1080 (4%)
Typical member: 8% of floor votes
We list only town halls and questionnaires we can confirm from a public source, so a short list doesn't mean Sen. David P. Hinkins hasn't met with voters. A missed vote can have a good reason, such as illness or a family emergency.
Hear from them directly
Contact Sen. David P. Hinkins
- Email: dhinkins@le.utah.gov
- Phone: 4357482828
- Office: PO Box 383, Ferron, UT, 84523
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Watch or join a meeting
Every committee hearing and floor session is open to the public and streamed live on le.utah.gov. Each committee's agenda has the link to watch or join online, and how to sign up for public comment.
David P. Hinkins serves on:
- Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee
- Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee
- Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee
- Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Interim Committee
- Federalism Commission
- Native American Legislative Liaison Committee
- Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Confirmation Committee
- Legislative Water Development Commission
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee
About
- In office since
- January 1, 2009
- Counties
- Carbon, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Utah, Wasatch, Wayne
- Profession
- Electrician
- Education
- Emery County High School, Utah Technical College at Provo Associate Degree
- Honors and awards
- None listed in their official profile.
- dhinkins@le.utah.gov
Money and conflicts of interest
- Campaign finance reports (who donated to their campaign, from the Lt. Governor's disclosure site)
- Conflict-of-interest disclosures (jobs, businesses, and boards they must report each year): latest
Coming next: their top donors and disclosed interests shown next to the related votes.
Official biography
True
Profile details come from the Utah Legislature's official legislator data.