KVNU Spotlight: Rep. Jason Thompson and Council Chair Sandi Goodlander
On Monday, October 26, 2026, KVNU host Jason Williams welcomed two Republican candidates to the studio for his For The People candidate spotlight series: Rep. Jason Thompson, running for re-election in Utah House District 3, and Council Chair Sandi Goodlander, running for re-election to the Cache County Council.
Listen to the full hour
Courtesy of KVNU / For The People (Cache Valley Media Group). Full Oct. 26, 2026 Hour 2 broadcast (about 55 minutes). Rep. Thompson begins about 8 minutes in; Council Chair Goodlander begins about 38 minutes in.
Listen on Podcastics: KVNU For The People, Oct. 26, 2026 Hour 2.
Rep. Jason Thompson, Utah House District 3
What voters are telling him: Affordability tops the list, from groceries to gas. Rep. Thompson said he wants to address property taxes for seniors whose Social Security adjustments are not keeping up, and to keep working to remove taxes on Social Security benefits.
Education: A father of six children in the Cache County School District, he pointed to recent increases in per-student funding, direct teacher salary increases, and investment in career and technical education.
Chronic absenteeism: Williams noted that the superintendents of both the Cache and Logan school districts have praised Rep. Thompson's work on chronic absenteeism. Rep. Thompson credited stronger parent notification in the legislation and said early numbers this school year show chronic absenteeism at about half of earlier levels.
Dark money and transparency: He discussed his Washington Examiner op-ed and a proposed constitutional amendment backed by American Promise so voters can know who is funding campaigns, noting that out-of-state money is trying to influence Cache County races, including his own.
Data centers: He said he was one of the first Republicans to file a bill to reform MIDA and return it to its original purpose of serving the military, and called for proper guardrails on data centers.
Before leaving the studio, Rep. Thompson offered an on-air endorsement of Council Chair Goodlander, calling her one of the greatest members of the County Council and someone who truly cares about her constituents.
Learn more at electjasonthompson.com.
Council Chair Sandi Goodlander, Cache County Council
Why she is running again: Council Chair Goodlander said she has important work underway that she wants to see through, and that it took about four years to fully learn the job.
A more collaborative council: She described working through disagreements with colleagues ahead of meetings so the council can do its work together.
Planning for growth: She said decisions on subdivisions, data centers and solar farms will shape Cache Valley for the next 20 years, and that getting them right matters.
Reducing recidivism: She described the county's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, required by the state, and said the county held back a portion of its opioid settlement funds to work with the Health Department on hiring a case worker who provides a warm handoff and wraparound services for people leaving incarceration. She thanked the Sheriff and local law enforcement.
Working with cities: She noted that County Executive George Daines has been working closely with city mayors, and that she has been attending city manager meetings.
Her ask: Whether or not people vote for her, she wants them to get out and vote.
Meet Rep. Thompson, Council Chair Goodlander and our other Republican candidates on our Meet the Candidates page.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Make sure your ballot is returned on time!
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