Meet the Candidates for Weber County Commission and House District 10

Weber County Voters Weigh Five Candidates Across Commission and House District 10 Races

As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Weber County voters face critical choices for both the Weber County Commission and Utah’s House District 10, with five candidates vying across these two local seats to shape policy on regional growth, taxation, and the preservation of the Great Salt Lake, Utah Public Radio reported in collaboration with The Signpost at Weber State University.

The Weber County Commission operates with a three-member board serving staggered four-year terms, holding authority over local ordinances, budgets, unincorporated land-use planning, zoning, and county property transactions. Three distinct candidates are running for Seat A: Democrat Alvin Thurgood, Republican Duane Kearsley, and Forward Party candidate Gary C. New.

Competing Visions for the Weber County Commission Seat A

Thurgood entered the race driven by frustration with what he characterizes as extreme political polarization. “If you are hoping for working-class representation and someone who leans progressively on certain issues, I would be the candidate for that,” Thurgood stated. His platform targets corporate welfare reduction, updated zoning laws to ban AI data centers from residential and agricultural sectors, fiscal discipline, enhanced police transparency, and protections for vulnerable populations.

Kearsley frames his Republican run around personal accountability and action. “My kids didn’t asked if I wanted to run. They asked if I were going to run. Leadership is the realization that your actions are always being watched,” Kearsley wrote on his campaign website, noting that he stepped forward because he refuses to talk about difficult matters without taking part in them. His priorities highlight fiscal management, government transparency, and support for the traditional caucus system, which he describes as a framework where leadership is earned rather than bought.

New rounds out the commission ballot with a focus on practical improvements for residents. His campaign emphasizes expanding affordable infrastructure, safeguarding the Great Salt Lake, and modernizing civic engagement through technological options for public comment and streamlined commission meeting schedules.

House District 10 Matchup Centers on Cost of Living and Taxation

In Utah’s House District 10—which encompasses Weber State University—lawmakers wield exclusive constitutional authority to introduce revenue-raising legislation and manage state appropriations, alongside drafting local statutes and serving on policy committees.

Democrat Rosemary Lesser, an obstetrician-gynecologist and Air Force veteran who previously held the seat from 2021 to 2024, seeks a return to the legislature. Lesser initially entered politics during a 2019 citizen-led referendum. If elected, she plans to immediately target the state grocery tax. Utah remains one of only eight states maintaining a statewide levy on groceries, according to AARP data.

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, so I’m going after that one first, Lesser said.

Beyond taxation, Lesser’s platform prioritizes maternal health care access, public education funding, affordable housing, reproductive rights, environmental air and water protections, and election accessibility.

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Challenging Lesser is Republican Jim Alvey, a lifelong Ogden resident who entered the race after spotting a lack of conservative representation. Alvey aims to steer state policy toward permanent tax reductions to keep living costs manageable for younger generations. Alongside tax relief, his policy focus includes public safety, educational reinforcement, managed growth, and strict opposition to abortion.

While their partisan backgrounds and specific mechanisms diverge sharply, both candidates in House District 10 have identified overall affordability as their primary driving concern.

Voters can find official ballot drop boxes, in-person voting locations, and complete candidate information directly through the Weber County Elections website.