About Chris
Chris was raised in Provo, Utah, since 1972 where he attended Edgemont Elementary, Farrer Junior High, and Timpview High school. He grew up attending the Provo Freedom Festival for Independence Day, where he met a Soviet MIG pilot who defected from Russia, a family that built a home-made balloon to escape East Germany, and many others who paid a high price for freedom. These experiences, as well as having his father serve in Vietnam, instilled a great love of our country and a determination to protect the freedoms U.S. citizens enjoy.
At the age of sixteen, Chris was awarded a Presidential scholarship to BYU and studied in Vienna, Austria, for six months. There he saw the Iron Curtain for the first time as well as the Berlin Wall which furthered his appreciation for our freedoms. He graduated from BYU in 1990 with a double major in International Relations and Family Living, and in 1992 he earned a Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior from the Marriott School of Management.
After graduation, Chris accepted a teaching position at Kharkov National University in the Ukraine. On the plane ride from Moscow to Kharkov, the person sitting next to him, a gentleman from India said, “Ukraine has the prettiest women in all of the former Soviet Union . . . and Kharkov has the prettiest in the Ukraine.” As he stepped off the plane, a young woman assigned by the University was holding a sign with Chris’s name on it. Chris married her four months later. Alia and Chris are now parents of five wonderful children, ages 11 to 24 and live in Provo. One of them is named after Ronald Reagan. Chris jokes that after 7 years at BYU, his Heavenly Father had to do something more direct to help him out.
Chris also taught in Kiev, Ukraine, for UVU’s (Utah Valley State College at the time) joint business program. He has been an adjunct faculty at UVU, George Wythe University, and other local institutions. He worked in Moscow for a private company as well. More recently, Chris has been working in real estate development and the mortgage industry.
Chris has always been genuinely patriotic and passionate about this country, U.S Constitution, and conservative principles. He has a proven track record in this area and made public service a priority in his life. He served in the Utah House of Representatives from 2007-2012 and was first elected as a republican state delegate at the age of 18. He is a life-long republican and in 2016 he volunteered as Utah State Director for Ted Cruz campaign and was elected a national delegate to the National Republican convention. Chris has always considered his time in politics as being a pursuit that should be limited in nature. As part of that conviction, he believes in self-imposed term limits and has concluded that too much power can be accumulated by one individual, which is not good for the legislative process.
Chris co-founded the Patrick Henry Caucus which reignited the Western lands battle and Constitutional balance of power between Federal government and the States. Chris has deep Utah roots and strong Utah values, knows Utah’s lands issues. He has seen up close how a big, over-reaching government hurts our businesses and our families here at home.
Chris was “Legislator of the Year” for the Utah Charter Schools Association, received an Honorary Highway Patrol award, and numerous other recognitions. He authored “The Forgotten Immigrant – How Tolerating Illegal Immigration Hurts Immigrants” – a book that explains how legal immigrants, the middle-class, and minorities are hurt by illegal immigration.
Chris has won the reputation for being a proven conservative who isn’t afraid to buck the system. While in legislature, he has fought for smaller government and lower taxes, and has never voted or advocated for raising taxes. He stood up for taxpayers and fought against the wasteful boondoggle BRT Project. He has 100% Sutherland Institute rating and 83% Grassroots rating.
“Chris herrod is a strong conservative and a principled leader whom i admire.”
— Senator Ted Cruz
The Forgotten Immigrant book
Chris has championed the cause of those who have been hurt by illegal immigration. He has written a book titled "The Forgotten Immigrant," which describes the woes of immigrants trying to legally enter to become productive citizens but have been "in line" for years. Chris has compassion for all those wanting to come here but believes in proper vetting and overhauling the immigration process.
