Kristinna Hurron

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Kristinna Hurron
Kristinna Hurron Official Portrait.jpg
Hurron's official portrait, 2023
Advisor to the President of Deseret
Assumed office
13 May 2023
PresidentNicole Young
Preceded byTanya Mien
Envoy to the United Nations Peacekeeping Corps
Assumed office
13 May 2023
Preceded byRaphael Deingreen
Chief General of the Military
Assumed office
13 May 2023
Preceded byJoseph Stanton
President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Development
In office
8 June 2022 – 13 May 2023
Preceded byNone (post created)
Succeeded bySarah Gooden
Member of the Citizens Assembly
In office
7 June 2022 – 14 May 2023
Personal details
Born (1988-01-06) 6 January 1988 (age 36)
Portland, Oregon, United States
Citizenship
Political party
SpouseRhyleigh Remmey (2015)
Children4
Alma materNew Israel University (BA)
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/serviceNational Guard
UN Peacekeeping Corps
RankChief General (2023-present)
Corporal (2011-2014)

Kristinna Hurron (born 6 January 1988) is an American-born Deseretian politician who currently serves as the Advisor to the President, Chief General of the Military, and holds a position as the official Envoy to the United Nations Peacekeeping Corps. She is known for creating the modern Citizens Assembly in Deseret. She is often referred to as the "Mother of the Assembly." Prior to her political career, Hurron served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Corps from 2011-2014, participating in missions in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Hurron gained prominence as a political analyst in Deseret from 2016-2022, where she focused extensively on social and foreign policy issues and investigative reporting. She advocated for the establishment of the Citizens Assembly, a single-housed chamber where legislation required the support of the people to pass through direct voting. Hurron's criticism of government bureaucracy and inefficiency and her emphasis on transparency and reducing corruption contributed to increased support for the Citizens Assembly.

In 2022, Hurron transitioned to a political career and became a member of the newly-formed Citizens Assembly, representing the Feminist Emancipation and Liberation League. Hurron also served as the President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Development.

On 9 May 2023, Hurron was nominated as the Advisor to the President by Nicole Young. She is widely regarded as the third most influential person in Deseret. As Advisor, she is responsible for informing the President on policy matters, particularly military and foreign policy issues. Hurron is also the unofficial head of the Cabinet and acts as President Young's personal spokesperson.

Early life and education

Hurron was born on 6 January 1988 in Portland, Oregon, United States, to Daniel and Tammy Hurron. She is the fifth of six children and the only daughter. In 1998 her family immigrated to New Israel, Deseret, in the suburbs of Great Salt Lake City. Hurron graduated high school in 2004 and attended New Israel University from 2005-2004, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts in social justice studies (the study of systemic injustices in social, economic, religious, and political fabrics).

Military and peacekeeping service

In 2010, after graduating, Hurron enlisted in the National Guard, where she served as a corporal and was the face of several recruiting efforts. Hurron was assigned to the Deseret attachment of the United Nations Peacekeeping Corps from 2011-2014, where she was deployed on several peacekeeping missions in Africa and the Middle East.

Syrian Civil War (2010-2017)

Congo Insurgencies (2007-2013)

Typhoon Haiyan

2014 Egyptian Presidential Crisis

Political analyst

Hurron discussing the proposed Citizens Assembly in Great Salt Lake City in 2016.

After returning from military service, Hurron began reporting politics for local news stations in New Israel. On 9 December 2014, she joined the Deseret Post as a senior political analyst specializing in social and foreign policy issues. Hurron gained fame for her viewpoints and opinions concerning social issues of abortion, healthcare, education, the prison and justice systems, economic policy, and Deseret's role in the world and how the country could play a more prominent and vital role in peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts with the United Nations. In 2015 she gained popularity for criticizing the length of time it took for lawmakers to react to the humanitarian crises on the U.S.-Mexico border, which was having effects on Deseret's border with Mexico, and proposed the current iteration of the Citizens Assembly, which would replace the American-inspired bicameral Congress with a single-housed chamber where legislation needed the support of the people, via directly voting on laws, to pass. Hurron helped increase support for a unicameral legislature by highlighting and criticizing ongoing government bureaucracy and inefficiency and by touring the country during 2016 presidential election. During the election, she drew upon idealistic goals of increased stability, efficiency, better laws and decision-making, and the expansion and protection of rights that would come from the Assembly.

Hurron criticized the Federalist Party for its lack of support for increased humanitarian and foreign aid spending, more nationalized industry, and more education funding. Hurron published an exposé on 23 February 2017 detailing corruption within Congress and the Judicial branch, which induced many elected officials and justices to overlook unconstitutional provisions within laws and the caused mismanagement of large amounts of government spending that went to high-ranking government officials and aids in the Senate and the executive branch, secret military projects relating to biochemical and nuclear weapons (both of which were illegal) that never received Congressional approval, including research into weaponizing the nuclear-elements of the national power grid, and collusion between members of Congress and foreign leaders, in which the government overlooked human rights violations in the Congo Republic to secure favorable trade-deals for cobalt and other rare-earth minerals. This exposé increased Hurron's popularity and support for the Citizens Assembly, which was viewed as a way for the public to be involved in the legislative process and to increase transparency, efficiency, and reduce corruption. Despite the public backlash against the federal government after the exposé, no officials were impeached or reprimanded until after the 2020 presidential election, where Nicole Young and the Reform and Deseret Union parties impeached several Supreme Court justices and Federalist senators and representatives.

In 2018, Hurron was the target of attacks from moderate and conservative groups, including high-ranking Federalist politicians and leaders, which focused extensively on her gender, sexuality, and youth. Most attacks on her political, social, economic, and religious views were accompanied by harsh critiques of her physical appearance and slurs regarding her gender, sexuality, and lack of religion. Hurron often ignored her attackers and stated how "nothing can bring me down. When you learn just how ignorant other people are, you learn to ignore them because you know that their opinions mean nothing; they carry no weight beyond their words, and their words are utterly weightless." Increased personal attacks increased Hurron's popularity with the public as she showcased resilience and used those opportunities to show how the current political system felt threatened by her. She received large amounts of free media coverage, which allowed her to share her messages and showcase her resiliency and personality.

Hurron supported Nicole Young's presidential campaign and routinely campaigned alongside her. Hurron was speculated to run for a seat in the House of Representatives or the Senate in 2018 and 2020, but she repeatedly dispelled those rumors as they surfaced, stating that she held no intent to serve in politics beyond reporting. In 2022 she became a member of the newly-instituted Citizens Assembly.

Political career

Hurron in a committee meeting, 3 August 2022.

Assemblywoman and Committees

Hurron switched parties from the Democratic Socialists of Deseret to the Feminist Emancipation and Liberation League (FELL) prior to the first Citizens Assembly election. She was the FELLs top pick after the party election on 15 April; as such, she was the first to be selected by the FELL to represent the party in the Assembly. Hurron contended for the position of Speaker of the Assembly, which she was expected to easily win due to her involvement in creating the chamber, but ultimately withdrew before the first round of voting for unknown reasons, endorsing Calla Elieisar of the Communist Party for Speaker, which pushed her to receive the majority of votes.

On 8 June, Hurron was selected as President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Development, per her wish. During her tenure in the Assembly, Hurron was instrumental in gaining public support and passing legislation on expanded maternity leave, reparations for discriminated groups, increasing foreign aid spending, and increasing funding for scientific research into more efficient solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, larger organic crop yields, improved desalination and water collection, reuse, and distribution, and safer abortion procedures and pills, and improved gender transitioning operations and procedures.

Hurron helped lower the tax-credits for heterosexual couples and children, implemented a tax-credit for abortions and same-sex couples, and broadened the married tax-credit from married couples to any relationship. She was also instrumental in increasing income and payroll taxes to support increased spending measures.

Advisor to the President

President Young nominated Hurron to fill the vacancy left by Tanya Mien as the Advisor to the President on 9 May 2023. On 12 May, she was confirmed by the Assembly and was sworn in the following day. As Advisor, Hurron is responsible for informing the President on all current policy matters, especially military and foreign policy issues, and is the unofficial head of the Cabinet, responsible for informing department heads and organizing and leading the Cabinet. She is also responsible for informing the Assembly of the President's intentions and actions. She often acts as President Young's personal spokesperson. As Advisor, she also verifies and records legislation into the National Library. In addition, Hurron safeguards large amounts of confidential information regarding military and political plans, state-owned industry objectives, and scientific research.

Hurron is the first openly-lesbian woman to serve as Advisor since its inception in 1956.

Hurron on the phone with a foreign diplomat after being sworn-in as advisor, 20 May 2023.

United Nations Envoy

Hurron was also nominated to be the Envoy to the United Nations Peacekeeping Corps on the same day she was nominated to be Advisor. She was confirmed on 12 May and sworn in the next day along with her Advisory position. As Envoy, Hurron officially represents Deseret and the military at the UN Peacekeeping Corps and is responsible for coordinating multi-national efforts in peacekeeping and humanitarian work.

Chief General

President Young appointed Hurron to the position of Chief General of the Military on 13 May, the same day she was sworn in as Advisor and UN Envoy. As Chief General, Hurron oversees all three branches of the military, is responsible for informing the President on all military matters, forumulates strategy and goals, is responsible for overseeing missions, and is a member of the board of the Deseret Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Department. Hurron's appointment to teh position of Chief General was controversial, as she was viewed as being unqualified due to her lack of extensive military experience, with her brief service as only a corporal in the National Guard, mainly consisting of UN peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. However, President Young explained that she picked Hurron due to her "new perspectives" on the military being needed for the new direction the military would head in the 21st century.

Political stances

Social policy

Hurron believes in reversed gender roles, in which women are superior to men and are the innate leaders of society. She supports strengthened affirmative action policies that over-represent minority groups. As a lesbian, Hurron endorses the LGBTQIA+ community and believes that the government should force inclusion and acceptance of the community, including private and religious institutions.

Hurron believes that the state has an obligation to correct past wrongs and mistreatment by favoring certain groups, such as women and racial minorities. In addition, she believes the government should endorse forced inclusion policies.

Hurron supports positive rights, including free healthcare, education, housing, food, internet, other utilities, and safety and equality. However, she has stated how certain rights, such as free speech, should be restricted when they may be offensive or hurtful to others.

Hurron is a staunch opponent of the nuclear family as the foundational unit of society and has stated that the federal government should step in to provide for and raise children, including moving them to different homes and parents, if their parents do not comply with government teachings and criteria and if they restrict certain rights, such as abortion and gender transitioning. Hurron is a supporter of free abortion for any reason, up until the point of birth. She has previously stated that she supports abortion after birth; however, it is unclear if she still backs that idea.

Hurron believes that the government should decriminalize drug use and that safe drug injection sites should be set up to deal with withdrawals and slowly getting addicts away from drugs.

Economic policy

Hurron believes that the government should control all sectors of the economy to ensure the equal distribution of resources. She supports a maximum wage and views physical currency as a way to circumvent the law.

Foreign policy

Hurron believes the military should be rebranded into a purely humanitarian force focused on defensive strategies and peacekeeping missions abroad. She is in favor of increased cooperation with other nations and international alliances. Hurron believes Deseret should be at the forefront of scientific, social, and economic development and help developing countries adopt liberal social policies and socialist economics.

Political policy

Hurron supports federalism but believes the federal government should hold the most power and influence, with only a few issues being delegated to state and local government.

Hurron is currently a member of the Feminist Emancipation and Liberation League after over a decade of membership in the Democratic Socialists of Deseret. She prioritizes women's rights and issues, including a greatly-expanded maternity leave program, and is a supporter of reparations for women, minorities, and the LGBTQIA+ community, and supports the matriarchal government structure of Deseret, where only women hold political power in voting and holding office, the drafting of a new constitution, and the removal of all public religious references from statutes, traditions, and enterprises, with state-sanctioned atheism.

Personal life

Hurron married Rhyleigh Remmy on 13 April 2015; they currently have four children: Maria Rhyleigh (7), Suzzane Rose (5), and twins Connor Jay and Jaxyn Daniel(3). Her children go by the last name Remmy-Hurron. She graduated from New Israel University in 2008 with a BA in social justice studies. Hurron is fluent in Spanish, Filipino, French, and Mandarin. Hurron is a lesbian and an ardent atheist.