Fact Check HD3
The race for Utah House District 3 has brought a lot of claims about Rep. Jason Thompson. Some are fair debate about his votes, and some are not true. Voters deserve facts they can check for themselves, so each item below links to its source.
1. "He didn't show up at his own town hall"
The claim: On KVNU's For The People (Oct 8, 2026), it was said that Rep. Thompson "didn't show up at his own town hall."
The facts: KVNU host Jason Williams corrected this on air the next day. Rep. Thompson had sent out a press release for a wildfire-themed town hall after the Canyon Road fire, with state and local fire experts invited. The event was rescheduled, and some people did not hear about the change. Williams said: "to say that Rep. Thompson didn't show up for his own town hall is not at all an accurate way to put that. The town hall was rescheduled." He added that the town hall "did end up happening." The correction starts about 9 minutes into the episode.
Source: KVNU For The People, Oct 9, 2026, Hour 1, "Rep. Thompson responds to Belmont campaign claims" (Cache Valley Media Group): https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/episode/rep-thompson-responds-to-belmont-campaign-claims-435086/
2. The "opinion survey"
The claim: Some voters got what was presented as an "opinion survey." Its questions made serious accusations about Rep. Thompson's personal integrity and finances, then asked voters how much those accusations bothered them.
The facts: Former Rep. Dan Johnson (R) and F. Ross Peterson (USU professor emeritus and former Cache County Democratic Party chair) wrote a joint letter about it. They said many of the survey's questions "were not really questions. They were lies about Rep. Jason Thompson's integrity, finances, and public service." They wrote: "A poll should not become a vehicle for presenting falsehoods as facts." They also said: "Whether this survey came directly from the Belmont campaign or from those supporting his candidacy, … when a candidate is unwilling to reject this kind of messaging, the damage extends beyond the person being targeted."
Source: Dan N. Johnson and F. Ross Peterson, "Cache County Voters Deserve Truth and Transparency" https://www.cachegop.com/post/cache-county-voters-deserve-truth-and-transparency
3. "Misleading and LYING Lawmaker" bingo cards
The claim: Supporters of Patrick Belmont handed out a "Misleading and LYING Lawmaker Bingo" card at a public event. Squares like "False Claim," "Lies by Omission" and "Willful Ignorance" suggest that our lawmaker lies.
The facts: The card gives no examples, votes or sources. It is name-calling, not a record. Rep. Thompson's actual record is public and listed below, and every bill links to the Legislature's official website. Even Patrick Belmont said on KVNU (Oct 8) that Rep. Thompson "is a hard worker." He also called the child care tax credit a really good thing Rep. Thompson did.
Source: Photo of the card taken at the event (Cache GOP). KVNU For The People, Oct 8, 2026, Hour 1 (Patrick Belmont, HD3 Candidate Spotlight).
4. Party label and transparency
The claim: Patrick Belmont presents himself as an independent, unaffiliated candidate.
The facts: In 2022, Belmont ran for House District 3 as the Democratic nominee. Cache County Democrats endorsed him at their March 26, 2022 convention, and he lost to Rep. Dan Johnson (R), 56.6% to 43.4%. State filings now list his campaign as "Non-Partisan." In their letter, Johnson and Peterson write that changing parties "is certainly a candidate's right," but that "voters should know how it changed," and "it is fair for voters to ask what actually changed."
Source: Cache Valley Daily, "Patrick Belmont, Holly Gunther picked as Democrats' candidates" (Mar 26, 2022): https://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/local/patrick-belmont-holly-gunther-picked-as-democrats-candidates/article_421491b6-2ecd-5310-b597-fe8e82c0f30f.html ; Ballotpedia, 2022 results: https://ballotpedia.org/Patrick_Belmont ; Utah disclosures, Belmont 2026 September 30th Report: https://disclosures.utah.gov/Search/PublicSearch/Report/208300
5. Out-of-state PAC money
The claim: Patrick Belmont says that claims he is inviting "dark money" into Cache Valley are not true.
The facts: Belmont's own state filings report money from Way Back PAC, a political action committee with a Sheridan, Wyoming address:
$5,000 contribution, Aug 1, 2025 (2025 Year End Report)
$1,332.25 in-kind "texting and fundraising support," Sept 25, 2026 (2026 September 30th Report)
Way Back PAC also gave $10,000 to a candidate in Logan's 2025 nonpartisan mayoral race, as reported by KVNU and Cache Valley Daily. On KVNU, Belmont said the negative mailers about Rep. Thompson came from a separate group, People for a Better Utah, which by law cannot coordinate with his campaign.
Source: Utah disclosures: https://disclosures.utah.gov/Search/PublicSearch/Report/203844 and https://disclosures.utah.gov/Search/PublicSearch/Report/208300 ; KVNU, "Logan mayoral candidate Alanna Nafziger leads in campaign contribution race" (Oct 15, 2025): https://kvnutalk.com/logan-mayoral-candidate-alanna-nafziger-leads-in-campaign-contribution-race/
Jason's record
Rep. Jason Thompson has served House District 3 since 2025. These bills he sponsored or carried in the House were passed and signed into law:
H.B. 190 (2026), Child Care Business Tax Credit. Expands the employer child care tax credit for small businesses. https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0190.html
H.B. 265 (2026), Non-nicotine Inhalation Product Amendments. Requires these products to be registered and makes illegal distribution of cannabinoid inhalation products a crime. https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0265.html
H.B. 520 (2026), Higher Education Student Housing Study. Studies how student housing affects surrounding communities. https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/HB0520.html
H.B. 361 (2025), Drug Overdose Training Amendments. Creates overdose-recognition training. https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0361.html
H.B. 373 (2025), Service Marketplace Platforms Amendments. Opens service marketplaces to daycare providers. https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0373.html
S.B. 58 (2026), Public School Attendance Amendments (House sponsor). Adds attendance monitoring and chronic-absenteeism support. https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/SB0058.html
S.B. 181 (2026), School Discipline Amendments (House sponsor). Sets minimum safety standards for school seclusion rooms. https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/SB0181.html
As Johnson and Peterson put it: "None of that means voters must agree with every vote Thompson has cast. They should challenge his record. Debate the issues. Question his decisions. But do it with facts."
Winning matters in politics. How we win matters too. Check the facts, then vote. Early voting runs Oct 26–30.
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