Ralph Becker (Utah)

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Ralph E. Becker, Jr.
Utah State Representative
In office January 20, 1997 – Current
Preceded by	Frank R. Pignanelli
Constituency	State House, District 24
Born	May 30, 1952 Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic Party
Residence	Salt Lake City, UT
Occupation	Planner
Website	Legislative Website

Ralph E. Becker Jr. (born May 30, 1952) is an American politician and attorney who is currently serving as the Minority Leader of the Utah State House of Representatives. He is a Democrat and represents House District 24 in Salt Lake City.

[edit] Early life and career

Ralph Elihu Becker was born in Washington, D.C. to Ralph Elihu Becker and Ann Watters Becker. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973, his J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1977, and his M.S. in Geography/Planning from the University of Utah in 1982. Becker is an attorney and planner (FAICP), who has co-founded Bear West in 1985, a planning, environmental, and natural resources consulting firm. He also is an Adjunct Professor at the College of Architecture and Planning, University of Utah.

Becker has had a career that has spanned serving in the National Park Service as a garbage man, firefighter, and ranger (law enforcement and EMT) (1971-76), Utah State Planning Coordinator under Governor Scott Matheson (1981-1985), and Salt Lake City Planning Commissioner (1988-1996). He is one of three people in Utah to be a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. His Utah legislative accomplishments include six years in Utah legislative leadership (four years as House Democratic Leader), leading the passage of the Quality Growth Act (1999), funding for trails, open space, and transit, Utah's first Energy Policy Act, and advocating social justice issues.

In November 2006, Ralph Becker announced his candidacy for the 2007 race for Salt Lake City Mayor.