Tom Williams: And thanks for being with us for this election night 2024 National Public Radio's coverage and Utah Public Radio. Tom Williams here with Damon Cann, USU political science professor. And I believe we have on the line a candidate for the state representative — State House of Representatives, Patrick Belmont. Patrick, do we have you?
Patrick Belmont: I'm here. Can you hear me?
Tom Williams: I can hear you. Yes. So, running as independent this time around, I know you've been out there knocking doors and talking to people, what's, what's your sense of what's on people's minds.
Patrick Belmont: I have. I was out just this afternoon. Even, you know, I think a lot of people have been very frustrated for a while with the two-party system, with an economy that doesn't seem to be working well for people to fight with some of the numbers are saying no. People aren't feeling that at home. So, I feel like there's a lot of people who are looking for some new directions, and I hope with this election cycle that we are electing people that are going to move us in a good direction.
Damon Cann: Patrick, it's such a novel thing. Usually, voters are pushed to choose between a Republican and Democrat. How have you been received as you've been campaigning as an independent in this cycle?
Patrick Belmont: You know, thinking back to January when I had to make this decision, I really didn't know how it was going to be received. At that time, it just really felt right to me that I was frustrated with the two-party system. I felt like we need to get away from the partisan politics altogether. It's getting in the way of people talking with each other. And so, you know, throughout the campaign, it's been very well received. I think people see it as very refreshing. I think they see that I'm somebody who's working across a lot of different issues, and I'm willing to work with anybody who's willing to think through issues and have hard conversations.
Tom Williams: Patrick, I do sense that as well, that people are tired of all the bickering, the partisanship. You know, if you look at the national landscape, certainly wouldn't give you a whole lot of hope. What are you sensing for the people you're talking to here in Logan area?
Patrick Belmont: Well, it's been very popular. I mean, people have been thrilled to see somebody who's trying to do something different, who's willing to work with anybody. You know, I've knocked thousands of doors in our community over the last six months, and had a lot of conversations with this about people, and whether they're Democrats or Republicans, people have been very frustrated with, you know, the control that the parties have over candidates and the fact that it's just getting in our way. You know, people are seeing each other as, oh, you're red or you're blue. We must not share anything in common. What I see when I talk to people at the doors is we share so much in common, and when we shed some of those, you know, red versus blue mentality. It's a lot easier to have conversations.
Damon Cann: Patrick, as you’ve had these conversations, do you feel like there's hope for strengthening or wiggling out of the two-party system that might be able to happen more broadly across the country?
Patrick Belmont: We will see, you know, we're — there's a number of independents that are running across Utah right now and we would be the first independent elected to the state legislature here. You know, the party system is enormous at the national level. I don't expect that to go away anytime soon. But what I do expect it to do is to start moderating that system. Parties have really been designed to pull people to the edges. And they've been doing that increasingly over the last about 15 years. I think what we're seeing now is a lot of people are just tired of it. At the very least, running a stream of independence here is going to help, I think, pull the parties back to where we can have real conversations with each other.
Tom Williams: Patrick Belmont, independent candidate for the state legislature. Thank you so much.
Patrick Belmont: Thank you for having me.
