Salt Lake City

Council District 3

The Avenues, Capitol Hill, Federal Heights, Guadalupe, Marmalade

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  3. Your Council Member

Your Council Member

Chris Wharton, District 3

Contact

Chris Wharton

Email: Chris.Wharton@slc.gov

Phone: 801-535-7726

Mailing Address:
PO Box 145476
Salt Lake City, UT
84114-5476

District 3 Constituent Liaison

Olivia Erickson

Email:  city.council.liaisons@slc.gov

Phone: 801-535-7600

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Council Member Bio

Council Member Wharton speaks at SLC Public Library systems' 120 year anniversary event
Council Member Wharton speaks at SLC Public Library systems’ 120-year anniversary event

Chris Wharton is a sixth-generation Salt Laker born in District 3. He was first elected to the City Council in 2017 and reelected in 2021. Chris has served in several key leadership roles on the Council, including serving as Chair in 2020 and Vice Chair in 2018, 2021, and 2024. He also served as Vice Chair of the Community Reinvestment Agency (formerly the Redevelopment Agency) Board of Directors in 2019. In 2025, Chris was chosen by his peers to serve a second term as Council Chair. 

In addition to his public service, Chris is an attorney, business owner, and community advocate. He operates his own small practice, focusing on family law, estate planning, and LGBTQ+ legal advocacy. He has earned local and national recognition for his leadership and hundreds of pro bono hours he has provided through organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Utah, the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center, Equality Utah, and the Utah State Bar. In 2022, Chris was named one of Utah Business Magazine’s 40 under 40. 

Chris has a history degree from Westminster College and a law degree from the University of Utah. Before joining the Council, Chris served two terms on Salt Lake City’s Human Rights Commission, where he helped establish Utah’s first LGBTQ+ inclusive non-discrimination ordinances for housing and employment. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Utah Pride Center and the LGBT & Allied Lawyers of Utah. 

As part of his Council duties, Chris serves on the city’s Legislative Policy Committee, the Friends of the Salt Lake City Cemetery Board, and the SLC-Utah Committee for the Olympic Games Governing Board. 

In his free time, Chris enjoys history, art, and travel. He is a (one-time) award-winning pie baker and a half-decent gardener. He resides in the Marmalade District with his husband, daughter, two Corgis, and two cats. 

District 3 includes the Greater Avenues, Capitol Hill, Marmalade, Guadalupe, and Federal Heights neighborhoods. This historic north-side district is home to the Utah State Capitol, Memory Grove, City Creek Canyon, Temple Square, and the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.