Senator Jen Plumb represents Utah Senate District 9, which includes Salt Lake City neighborhoods: Downtown SLC, Central City, 9th&9th, Central 9th, parts of Poplar Grove and Glendale, Ballpark, Liberty Wells, 15th&15th, Yalecrest, Bonneville, Foothill, parts of the Avenues, University of Utah, and Emigration Canyon.  

She was elected to serve in the Utah State Senate in 2022 and serves as the Senate Democratic Caucus Assistant Whip. She currently serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee, the Interim Revenue and Taxation Committee, the Social Services Appropriations Committee, the General Government Appropriations Committee, and the Executive Appropriations Committee. 

Sen. Plumb values learning from experts and other stakeholders nationwide and has been honored to participate in multiple national policy fellowships, including as a Millbank Foundation Leaders Fellow, an NCSL Youth Homelessness Fellow, an NCSL Maternal and Child Fellow, and an NCSL Overdose Prevention Fellow. She also serves in Utah on the Legislative Energy Working Group, Children’s Justice Center Advisory Board, Judicial Conduct Commission, Native American Legislative Liaison Committee, Victims Services Commission, and on the Executive Team of the Utah Opioid Task Force. 

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Professionally, Senator Plumb is a pediatric emergency medicine physician and Professor in the University of Utah’s Department of Pediatrics and at Primary Children’s Hospitals. She is also the Medical Director of Utah Naloxone, an organization she co-founded to decrease the impact of the opioid overdose epidemic by equipping individuals and families with naloxone to reverse an opiate overdose. She is a member of the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee and has served on the American Academy of Pediatrics committees. She is deeply committed to the safety and wellness of our youth and to the health of all of our communities. She received the University of Utah School of Medicine’s 2019 Distinguished Humanitarian Award. 

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Before her election, she was a longtime advocate at the Utah Legislature, helping pass multiple bills to reduce overdose deaths and infectious disease transmission. She has also assisted legislators in other states working on similar issues. Since she was elected Senator, she has continued to champion data-driven public policy and has sponsored legislation to address a range of issues, including substance use and prevention, child welfare, criminal justice reform, policies affecting marginalized and vulnerable communities, health care, and environmental quality.

Senator Plumb earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA. She went on to receive both a master’s degree and an MD from the University of Utah. Her pediatrics residency was completed at Riley Children’s Hospital at Indiana University, and her fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine was completed at Primary Children’s Hospital at the University of Utah.

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Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Senator Plumb is deeply connected to her large extended family who mostly still live in the area. Her commitment to addressing substance use is personal: she lost her brother to a heroin overdose shortly before beginning medical school. This experience drives her dedication to improving care and expanding resources for individuals and families affected by substance use, as well as advancing education and prevention efforts.

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Jen is a single mom to a daughter who is the light of her life. Together, they enjoy traveling, exploring the world, supporting the arts, fishing, kayaking, and rescuing senior dogs. Senator Plumb’s professional expertise as a physician, combined with her personal experiences and advocacy work, brings a unique perspective to the Utah Senate. She approaches policymaking with compassion, scientific rigor, and a deep commitment to improving the health, safety, and future of all Utahns, especially Utah’s most vulnerable. 

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