In a close race, Blanding Mayor Logan Monson is projected to win the House District 69 Republican Primary race against former Grand County Commissioner Lynn Jackson.
Monson leads Jackson by 131 votes — 3,859 to 3,728 — after each of the seven counties in House District 69 reported their votes and completed their canvas by the end of July 9.
“Obviously we’ve been very anxious to hear the results — it’s a close race, almost split as far as what people would expect,” Monson said. “I’m very grateful for the people that voted for me, and obviously have work to do to get support from the rest of the people that didn’t vote for me.”
The state will finalize its canvas by July 22 to certify the election. The general election will take place on Nov. 5 where, if the primary election is certified, Monson will face Davina Smith, a Democrat Diné who is running again after losing to Phil Lyman in 2022.
Monson did particularly well in San Juan County where he has been Blanding mayor for three years and was previously a Blanding city councilor for four years. He got about 65% of the vote, as well as about 56% of the vote in Kane County.
Jackson, who also is chair of the Grand County Republican Party, convincingly beat Monson in Grand County with over 70% of the vote. The rest of the county’s tallies were neck and neck.
In a Facebook post that was originally made June 27 but has been updated, Jackson conceded the race.
“I think without the interference from non-republicans who register as republicans to vote in the republicans’ closed primary, and without the interference of SUWA/RUP affiliated nonprofits using attack mailers on behalf of my opponent, then it wouldn’t have been a close race,” Jackson told The Times-Independent.
In a statement sent to The Times-Independent, SUWA said they “did not send a mailer and does not engage in elections as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.” 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office,” according to the Internal Revenue Code.
Monson said during the election that some flyers, sent out by o2 Utah’s political action committee Fresh Air, had his name and picture, advocating to vote for him. The other side has a picture of Jackson and a description “that tried to paint him as a radical,” Monson said.
“So, it was a hit piece in a way, which I would never support anything like that,” he said.
Monson made it clear that he was not endorsed and has no affiliation with Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Rural Utah Project or o2 Utah, an environmental 501(c)4 nonprofit that focuses on clean air. 501(c)4 nonprofits are allowed to engage in elections as long as it “does not constitute the organization’s primary activity,” according to the Internal Revenue Code.
“I just want to be very clear that I did not accept an endorsement – I’m very conservative when it comes to those things,” Monson said. “… I’m not interested in being bought up by anybody – if someone wants to be supportive, that’s their prerogative but my focus is representing the people of District 69.”
(Andrew Christiansen) Lynn Jackson at a Moab Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The current Grand County Republican Party chair is projected to lose the House District 69 Republican Primary.
Monson said that if he were elected as a representative, he would “put in the work” to figure out the needs of the district’s constituents and what the people who didn’t vote for him want.
“Obviously, I’m not here to change who I am, but I’m here to represent the district as a whole and want to make sure that everyone feels represented in a way where they feel valued,” he said.
Monson emphasized his dedication to defending land rights and ensuring decisions about resources involve local residents.
“The government works best when it is closest to the people it serves,” Monson said.
He added that he is committed to advocating for limited government, safeguarding freedoms, and upholding constitutional principles, identifying the issues he cares most about: education, taxing retirement income, advocating for parents’ rights, supporting law enforcement and reviewing the Medicaid system.
If elected, Monson said he would be committed to being a strong voice for rural Utah in the state house.
“Coming from a multigenerational livestock-producing family, I deeply value our rural heritage,” he said. “The joy of raising animals, riding horses and engaging in outdoor recreation, including hunting, is not just a hobby but an integral part of our way of life.”
With his seven years of experience in public service, Monson said he is committed to leveraging this, as well as his genuine concern for the welfare of District 69, to “build a stronger, more resilient future for rural Utah.”
Jackson said if Monson ends up being elected voters will “find out the differences early on between someone who could have stepped right into the job, and someone who won’t be able to do that.”
“Grand County will realize they missed a great opportunity to have someone with the immediate desire to resolve our bypass situation and to get meaningful and responsible changes to the TRT program versus someone who will not have that anywhere on their radar screen,” he said.
Smith said no matter who won the Republican Primary, it doesn’t change much because her focus has been on building a stronger campaign than the one she ran in 2022.
“I’ve always been ready with whoever I was going to run against,” Smith said.
Smith highlighted the key differences between her and Monson, noting her identity as an Indigenous woman and her extensive experience in public lands, healthcare and education.
“I have experience in public lands,” Smith said, noting she’s sitting on the Bears Ears Tribal Coalition.
“My work is working in public lands, I’m also a board member of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners,” Smith said. “I have a history of working on land initiatives since I was very young.”
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to add a statement from SUWA that denies Lynn Jackson’s claims that they sent out flyers in support of Logan Monson and in opposition to Jackson. Additionally, that 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations like SUWA aren’t allowed to engage in elections. It was also clarified that o2 Utah’s political action committee Fresh Air did send out flyers in support of Monson, but they’re legally allowed to as a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization.