Jason Thompson is a Republican running for the Utah House of Representatives District 3.
Tom Williams: Tom Williams here with Damon Cann. So I guess first of all, you’ve been out talking to voters, I expect. What are the top of mind issues that you've been finding out about from voters?
Jason Thompson: The top of mind issues have been hands down, affordable housing, education, the the, you know, the dinner time table type of issues that people are feeling the most. Definitely affordable housing, definitely education. Really excited to see tonight play out, and optimistic it will play out in my favor.
Damon Cann: Jason, is there any particular issue you're especially excited about to work on in the legislature, if you're successful with this election?
Jason Thompson: Yeah, that's a great question. I have some big concerns about the trajectory of our economy and the way things are going. We've had things great in Utah for the past several decades from an economy and business perspective. I want to make sure that continues. I want to make sure that we're not complacent. I want to make sure that we're able to continue to grow the economy in Utah, to continue attract innovation and entrepreneurs here to where we can — to where we can grow the economy and work at the same time to try and solve issues like affordable housing by increasing wages here in the state where people's, you know — if prices of homes are not going to come down because of supply and demand, well, let's, let's make sure that we're growing the pie so that homes can be more affordable relative to people's income. And we've just got a lot of work to do, and that's, that's one area that I hope that I can work on in the legislature.
Tom Williams: So, Jason Thompson, nationally, very bitter partisanship seems over, totally polarized. What’s you're feeling about, about here in Utah, how are we doing?
Jason Thompson: You know, I think overall, we're doing better than the nationally. But if I'm being just quite frank, I'm concerned. There's a lot of a lot of bad rhetoric, there's a, you know, quite a bit of tension. And I'm looking forward to this election being done and us having a new day to move forward and work to unite these issues that are so contentious, that divide us as a nation. They're not, or shouldn't, be partisan issues. They are our community issues. They are people issues. They're issues that we all face, that we all need to deal with, and I just hope that we can come together, work together, and that we can change the tone and the dialogue in our country.
