Utah Public Radio published this article in collaboration with The Signpost at Weber State University as part of its election coverage.
Editor’s Note: The Signpost does not endorse any candidates in the 2026 midterm elections. Our election coverage is intended to inform voters about the candidates, their platforms and the issues affecting our communities.
With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, Weber County voters will decide who represents them on the Weber County Commission and in Utah’s House District 10.
Five candidates are competing for the two positions, campaigning on issues including housing affordability, taxation, government accountability and management of the Great Salt Lake.
Weber County Commissioner Seat A
The Weber County Commission consists of three commissioners who serve staggered four-year terms. The commission oversees county ordinances, budgets, land-use planning and zoning in unincorporated areas and county property transactions.
Three candidates running for Seat A: Democrat Alvin Thurgood, Republican Duane Kearsley and Forward Party candidate Gary C. New.
Thurgood said he decided to run for office after becoming frustrated with what he described as “extreme versions of political government.”
“If you are hoping for working-class representation and someone who leans progressively on certain issues,” Thurgood said. “I would be the candidate for that.”
Thurgood’s priorities include reducing corporate welfare and influence, updating zoning laws to prohibit AI data centers in residential and agricultural areas, promoting fiscal responsibility, improving police transparency and protecting vulnerable groups.
Kearsley has centered his campaign on the principle of leading by example.
“My kids didn’t ask if I wanted to run. They asked if I was going to run. Leadership is the realization that your actions are always being watched. I filed for office because I refuse to be a man who talks about ‘hard things’ without doing them,” Kearsley wrote on his campaign website.
Kearsley’s campaign emphasizes fiscal responsibility, government accountability, transparency and developing future leaders. He also advocates for the caucus system, describing it as a process in which “leadership is earned, not bought.”
New said he decided to run for commissioner to improve the lives of Weber County residents.
His priorities include expanding affordable housing and infrastructure, protecting the Great Salt Lake and increasing public participation in county government. New also wants to introduce new methods for public comment, including technological options, and revising the commission’s meeting schedule and procedures.
House District 10
Members of the Utah House of Representatives introduce and vote on legislation, propose amendments and serve on legislative committees. The House also has the exclusive authority to introduce revenue-raising legislation and impeach state officials.
Weber State University is located in House District 10, where Democrat Rosemary Lesser and Republican Jim Alvey are competing for the seat.
Lesser, an Air Force veteran and obstetrician-gynecologist, previously represented House District 10 from 2021 to 2024. She said she became involved in politics in 2019 after participating in a citizen-led referendum opposing legislation she disagreed with.
If elected, Lesser said she plans to revisit eliminating Utah’s state sales tax on groceries. Utah is one of eight states that still impose a statewide tax on groceries, according to AARP. However, some states that have eliminated their statewide grocery taxes still allow local governments to impose them.
“”It’s one way that Utah with a turn of a key, or a stroke of a computer terminal, can make life just a little bit easier for Utahns,” Lesser said. “So, I’m going after that one first.”
Lesser’s other priorities include improving access to medication and maternal health care, supporting public education and affordable housing, protecting reproductive rights and addressing environmental concerns, including air and water quality. She also advocates for veterans, working families and election accessibility.
“Giving up on the system because you feel that it’s letting you down, in my opinion, lets down everybody else who depends on you,” Lesser said
Alvey, a lifelong Ogden resident, said he decided to run after noticing a lack of conservative candidates in the race. He hopes to make Utah more affordable so his children, grandchildren and other families can continue living in the state.
Alvey’s top priorities include keeping Utah affordable for residents and protecting water resources, including the Great Salt Lake.
“I’m just wanting to say how do we not only stay tax neutral but get on a path of tax reduction?” Alvey said. “So, affordability would be the number one priority.”
His other priorities include public safety, strengthening education, government accountability, managing growth and opposing abortion.
Although their approaches differ, both House District 10 candidates have identified affordability as a priority.
For more information about the candidates, visit weberelections.gov. Voters can also find ballot drop boxes and in-person voting locations on the Weber County Elections website.
