Staff

Hayden L. Ballard

Senior Policy Analyst, Rural Policy

If I give you one message to hold in your hearts today, it’s this. Never, ever give up.

- Donald J. Trump

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Hayden L. Ballard serves as senior policy analyst for rural policy at AFPI, furthering the Farmers First Agenda and driving rural prosperity. A licensed attorney, Ballard previously represented the State of Utah and several rural Utah counties, championing common sense land-use policy on federal, state, and private land. In 2024, he represented several amici curiae in the U.S. Supreme Court case of first impression, Utah v. United States.

While competing in college rodeo, Ballard earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from Colorado Northwestern Community College and Southern Utah University. He then obtained a Master of Science in agroforestry from the University of Missouri, a Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in agricultural and food law from the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Compelled to preserve America’s inspired foundations of individual liberty, he draws on a resilient Ballard family line who settled Massachusetts in 1635 and migrated west in 1847—grazing cattle in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona to the present day. He enjoys team roping while raising hay, cattle, and children with his wife.

Bar Admissions: Utah, Arizona, Kansas, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court

Areas of Expertise

Rural Prosperity, 

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