Tim Vandenack, Standard-Examiner
Several incumbents in Weber County are saying they plan to seek reelection in 2022, though the filing period for next year’s election cycle doesn’t start until March 7, 2022. In this archive photo from elections earlier this year, Weber County election workers process mail-in ballots on Oct. 29, 2021, at the Weber Center in Ogden. Pictured, clockwise from top left, are Lori Lovelady, Tom Bland, Lynda Bland and Yvonne Berger.
OGDEN — With just a few days left in 2021, 2022 and the new election cycle looms.
Indeed, though the formal filing period for candidates in state and local races doesn’t start until March 7 next year, many incumbents are saying they plan to run again, boding for many familiar names on the ballot when the time comes.
At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Blake Moore, the 1st District representative and a GOPer, will be seeking a second term. Two other Republicans, at least, plan to vie for the seat as well, Alena Ericksen and Andrew Badger.
At least one county official — Weber County Commissioner Scott Jenkins — is saying he most likely won’t run. “That’s my plan today — to not run,” Jenkins said Monday.
Already, though, at least one would-be replacement has emerged in Phil Swanson, currently a member of the North Ogden City Council. He announced last week on Facebook that he’ll vie for the county post, seat B on the three-member county commission. “As we work together to ensure a bright and prosperous future for Weber County, I will protect your rights, work to lessen the intrusion of government in our personal lives, and leave Weber County a better place for our children and grandchildren,” Swanson said.
Here’s a look at some of the contests Weber County voters will weigh in on in the 2022 cycle:
U.S. House: Judging by finances, at least, Moore has the edge in the race to be the GOP nominee in the 1st District race, with $366,101 cash on hand, according to records on file the Federal Election Commisison. He filed his statement of candidacy last April.
That’s not preventing the two announced challengers from coming forward. Neither had yet reported any contributions to the FEC.
Ericksen struck a deeply religious tone in discussing her candidacy in a post on her Facebook page late last month.
“I believe the Constitution is hanging by a thread and God needs and will provide men and women to save it,” she wrote. She went on: “I’m willing to be His hands in servitude as I embark on this journey. Faith in a reliance of our Creator is the first principle I’m running on and it will be key to saving the Constitution.”
Badger, who says he’s a former U.S. intelligence officer, describes himself as a “(c)onservative outsider ready to fight for Utah.” His first priority, he says, is to “RESTORE confidence in the integrity of our elections.”
State Senate: The only contest at the Utah Senate level in Weber County is for the District 5 post, now held by Ann Millner. She didn’t immediately respond to a Standard-Examiner query on her plans.
The seat remains District 18 until the new district boundaries take effect for the 2022-2023 term. But they’ve been redrawn and its new number is District 5. Millner is finishing her second term.
State House: The incumbent Utah House members serving Weber County, who the Standard-Examiner could reach, all say they’ll be running again.
Matt Gwynn, a Farr West Republican and chief of the Roy Police Department, said he’ll seek a second term in the District 6 post, covering northwestern Weber County and part of Box Elder County to the north. It’s now called District 29 until the new district boundaries take effect.
Ryan Wilcox, an Ogden Republican, will run again for the District 7 post. He held it from 2009-2014 and won reelection to the seat in 2020. It’s tough to get much done in just one two-year term, he said, citing the drought and addressing mental health issues as they pertain to first responders as likely priorities. District 7 covers parts of Ogden and North Ogden.
Steve Waldrip, a Republican from Eden, will seek his third term in the District 8 post, he said. That covers part of Ogden, including a chunk of the East Bench, as well as the Ogden Valley and eastern Weber County.
Cal Musselman, a West Haven Republican, now holds the District 9 seat, stretching from West Haven east to central Ogden. He didn’t immediately respond to a Standard-Examiner query on his plans this cycle. He’s in his second term.
Rosemary Lesser, an Ogden Democrat, will run for the District 10 seat, which which covers parts of Ogden, South Ogden, Riverdale and Washington Terrace. She won a special election among Weber County Democrats to the seat earlier this year following the death of Lou Shurtliff, who unexpectedly passed away late last year after election to the post in 2020.
Two Republicans have also announced plans to seek the District 10 seat, Lorraine Brown, who’s run for the seat twice before, and Jill Koford.
Kelly Miles, a Republican from the South Ogden area, said he’ll run again for the District 11 seat, which covers portions of South Ogden, Riverdale and Uintah and crosses into South Weber in Davis County. He’ll be seeking his fourth term.
Mike Schultz, a Republican from Hooper, said he’ll seek a fifth term in the post. He’s the newly elected majority leader in the Utah House.
Weber County: Weber County Commissioner Gage Froerer, a former Utah House member finishing his first term on the commission, said he’ll seek a second term to the seat A post.
He alluded to Jenkins’ likely plans not to run. “It’s not good to have two (commissioners) leave at the same time,” Froerer said. Three serve on the commission and Jim Harvey, the third commissioner, isn’t up for election this cycle.
Weber County Sheriff Ryan Arbon, finishing his first term, said he plans to run again.
Likewise, Weber County Clerk-Auditor Ricky Hatch and Weber County Attorney Chris Allred said they would both be running in 2022.
Hatch, going for his fourth term, said he loves what he’s doing and that he thinks he’s making a difference here locally and in Utah.
Allred, going for his third term, cited collaborative efforts to make Ogden neighborhoods safer and work with drug courts, among other things. “We have forged and maintained excellent relationships with our police agencies, and I am eager to keep the momentum going and to continue serving the people of Weber County!” Allred said in an email to the Standard-Examiner.
Three Ogden school board seats are on the ballot in 2022. They are the District 2, 4 and 7 posts, now held, respectively, by Doug Barker, Amber Allred and Joyce Wilson.
Four Weber school board seats are on the ballot. They are for the District 1, 2, 3 and 6 seats, now held by Dean Oborn, Jan Burrell, Bruce Jardine and Janis Christensen, respectively.