Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) appointed Kera Birkeland (R) to the Utah House of Representatives on April 16. Kirkland will represent District 53, filling the vacancy created by Logan Wilde’s (R) resignation to assume the role of commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.

Birkeland serves as the vice chair of the Utah Republican Party, was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Utah, and worked as the director of operations for Oil Vault, a small business she founded with her husband, Lars Birkeland.

Birkeland was sworn into office on April 16 and will serve the remainder of Wilde’s term set to end December 31 of this year. Birkeland has filed to run for re-election and is currently the only Republican candidate filed to run for the District 53 seat. A primary is scheduled for June 30, 2020, and the general will take place on November 3, 2020.