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OGDEN — The local political season is gearing up, with the race for the Weber County Commission post now held by Scott Jenkins drawing the most seeming interest.

Jenkins, a Republican, won’t seek reelection and five hopefuls have already come forward with plans to seek the seat. On the GOP side the candidates are Sharon Bolos, the former West Haven mayor; Phil Swanson, a member of the North Ogden City Council; Bren Edwards, vice chair of the Western Weber Planning Commission; and Bill Olson, who’s active in the local Republican Party.

Mike Blodgett, who unsuccessfully vied for the District 10 Utah House seat last year following the death of Rep. Lou Shurtliff, is running as a Democrat.

Jenkins, who previously served as a Utah state senator and Plain City mayor, among other posts, indicated that he’s slowing down. He holds seat B on the three-member Weber County Commission. “The end of the year it’ll be 34 years (of public service). I’m tired. I’m wore out,” he said.

Gage Froerer, who holds seat A on the county commission, which is also up for election this cycle, issued a statement Wednesday formalizing his plans to seek a second term. He’s the only hopeful for the post to publicly emerge so far.

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“I am committed to continuing my mission to promote economic development, put our communities first and to use your hard-earned tax dollars responsibly,” Froerer, a Republican, said in a statement. “Today I pledge to be a voice for the people of Weber County, to fight for the rights of our residents and to build greater trust in local government.”

Jim Harvey holds the third county commission post, but his seat isn’t up for grabs this cycle.

The Republican list of candidates for the seat B county commission post will likely be whittled at the March 26 Weber County Republican Party convention. All four hopefuls will seek a place on the GOP primary ballot at the convention while Bolos is also petitioning for a spot via collection of signatures of registered voters.

The formal candidate filing period goes from next Monday through March 4. Primary voting culminates June 28.

Here’s a look at the hopefuls, starting on the GOP side and then the Democratic hopeful:

Sharon Bolos: She served two terms as mayor of West Haven before she lost last fall to Rob Vanderwood in her bid for a third term. Before being mayor, she served a term on the West Haven City Council. On top of that, she recently received a master’s degree from Southern Utah University in public administration, she said, adding to her resume.

“I think it’s a great fit and I have a lot to offer the county,” she said.

Growth, she said, is a big issue and she said her experience in West Haven, one of the fastest-growing cities in Utah, would aid in contending with the issue at a county level. Making sure Weber County gets its fair share of state funding, too, is a priority.

She said she’s garnered enough signatures on petitions to secure a spot on the primary ballot.

Phil Swanson: He’s a member of the North Ogden City Council, has been for around eight years and said growth, taxes and public safety are big issues.

In contending with growth, one of the keys, he says, is balancing property rights with the need for housing in the “missing middle” — that is, homes that are larger than apartments but smaller than traditional single-family homes.

On taxes, he’d use “outcome-based budgeting” in addressing spending and budgeting, by looking at how much was spent and whether the funding achieved expected goals. That’s how he’s approached spending and budgeting as a member of the North Ogden City Council.

On public safety, his focus would be making sure first responders “are well taken care of.”

Bren Edwards: Edwards has served for six years on the Western Weber Planning Commission, an advisory group on certain planning issues to the Weber County Commission. He also chairs the board of the Taylor-West Weber Water Improvement District, a special services district that manages culinary water issues in parts of western Weber County.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved, been involved,” said the Taylor area resident. His great-grandfather Bud Favero served on the county commission in the late 1960s, and Edwards has wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“My intent in running has nothing to do with the politics or power. I just feel I have gained the knowledge and experience over the years to help this county continue to move in a positive direction,” he said in a Facebook post.

Bill Olson: He’s the retired chief executive officer of a molecular diagnostics company and cites his many years of business experience. He’s also held varied roles in the Weber County and Utah Republican parties.

Seeing how many small businesses were adversely impacted by COVID-19, one of his focuses would be on aiding such entities.

“I am a complete platform Republican…that means I embrace the values and principles of our Platform. All efforts to govern should start with these values and principles,” he said on his website.

Mike Blodgett: The sole Democratic candidate, thus far anyway, works for a family-run printing business. He is also a bike mechanic.

Part of his aim in running is to make sure the Republican hopeful in the general election has competition from the Democratic Party. He also cited his strong affection for Weber County, where he’s lived most of his life.

“I love Weber County and I think it’s a great place to live,” he said.

Key issues that need to be addressed, he thinks, are homelessness, mental illness and the lack of affordable housing.

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