Democratic challenger Neil Hansen puts the focus on five principles of politics he thinks get short shrift, including integrity and accountability.

Libertarian hopeful Jacob Johnson says school choice is big for him. “I want to abolish government involvement in schooling, period,” he said.

The three are vying for the Weber County-based Utah House seat that covers portions of central Ogden, northern Roy and West Haven.

Musselman, a Republican from West Haven, says creating high-paying jobs in the district has been a top priority and that would continue. He noted Northrop Grumman’s plans to expand in the Roy area to support Hill Air Force Base’s missile replacement program, expected to create thousands of jobs over time.

He also pointed to his efforts to earmark state funds for the YCC Family Crisis Center in Ogden to help the agency develop transitional housing to assist women facing domestic abuse. “There’s a lot of work to be done to help women in abusive situations. I’ll continue that work,” he said.

More generally, he said helping Ogden, a portion of which is in the district and the biggest city in Weber County, is a priority. “As Ogden goes, the rest of us go,” he said.

On education, he believes promoting interest in tech schools and tech careers among high school students is key, moving away from an emphasis primarily on encouraging matriculation in four-year colleges.

Hansen, who served six terms in the District 9 post through 2010, cites his experience as a lawmaker. One particular issue for him has to do with voter registration — he’d eliminate the cutoff date for registration ahead of an election since voters can register on Election Day.

He also worries lawmakers have lost sight of what he thinks should be their key guiding principles — integrity, knowing the responsibilities of serving, accountability, appreciating the checks and balances of power and transparency. On transparency, he noted, with chagrin, the closed-door meetings GOP legislators — the supermajority of Utah lawmakers — sometimes have. “That’s just totally wrong,” said Hansen, who’s from Ogden.

As a Libertarian, Johnson, from West Haven, said he represents a break from the traditional two-party system.

“I view the two-party system as detrimental to the entire democratic process we have in the United States,” he said. “I am not an establishment politician. I am actually just a normal citizen who cares about his community.”

School choice is big for him and he views government involvement in education as an interference.

Ballots are due Nov. 8.