PoliticIt Podcast

Join our host, Senator John D. Johnson, as he welcomes Eric Young, former Ogden City Police Chief to celebrate 32 years of outstanding service to the city.

Eric Young has 32 years of law enforcement experience with the Ogden Police Department in Utah, serving as Chief of Police since January 2021 and previously as Deputy Chief since 2012. He holds a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University and is a graduate of the 266th session of the FBI National Academy.

Eric has received numerous awards, including the Utah Chief’s of Police Association Large Agency Chief of the Year award in 2023 and the Utah Fraternal Order of Police Chief of the Year award in 2024. He is dedicated to community service, having held leadership roles in local organizations focused on domestic violence and community action.

In August 2024, Eric retired from the police force to join DekkoSecure as the Director of Business Development providing highly secure file-sharing and collaboration solutions to US Law Enforcement agencies.

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Join our host, Senator John D. Johnson, as he welcomes Matt Gwynn, Roy City Police Chief and Utah House Representative for District 6, who is seeking reelection.

Matt is intense in his dedication to service, passionate about solving problems, and has incredible devotion that fuels his fight for change in the face of irresponsible government and bureaucrats alike.

The Utah state legislature needs experienced law enforcement officers among its ranks when debating and voting on public safety policy. Public safety is the largest consumer of municipal budgets and public safety legislation, next to education, is a priority of the state legislative bodies. The problem is that decisions made at the state level, while well-intended, can have a negative impact on local police and fire agencies. Matt has 23 years of law enforcement experience and will use that experience in debating and voting for common-sense and effective public safety solutions. Legislators may think they have an idea about the realities that confront public safety officials and the communities they serve. Very few, if any, have responded to or have taken a role in managing or working on a critical incident. Matt actually knows and has responded to the challenges that municipalities confront regarding outcomes of public safety policy created by the state. His experience on the Weber Fire District Board of Trustees provides him with the knowledge of the challenges facing the fire service as well. There is not a more well-rounded public safety experienced legislator on Capitol Hill than Matthew Gwynn.

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Join our host, Senator John D. Johnson, as he welcomes Jayden Laursen, an exceptional young man with a great story. Jayden Laursen grew up fascinated by politics, and history, and using both for making a better tomorrow. As a kid, he used building blocks to make the white house and other Washington monuments.

He overcame many haters and doubters saying he'd never make it when he was put in the Dan Johnson and Tina Cannon administrations. Serving on many campaigns and serving up in Cache Valley. At a young age, he served on the seminary council for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He started to experience health issues, mental health struggles, Suicidal thoughts, anxiety attacks, and depression during that time and chose to use those positions he had to help influence others to know they are not alone.

Since then, Jayden has not done a single talk/devotional/speech/interview/ etc....without mentioning mental health hoping to reach out to the one. He's still doing church devotionals and videos and serving in Tina Cannons, Dan Johnsons, Bill Campbell's campaign, and Chris Wilson's administration.

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Join our host, Senator John D. Johnson, as he welcomes Tina Canon, Candidate for Utah State Auditor, Republican party. Other politicians want to spend your money, and Tina wants to protect it.

Currently, as the deputy state auditor in the Office of the State Auditor, Tina has had a successful 30-year career in accounting. As an entrepreneur and small business owner for 28 years, Tina used her management accounting background (CMA) and specialization (EA) in Federal, State, Local, and Employment taxation to represent countless individuals and small business owners across Utah.

When State Auditor John Dougall asked Tina to join the Audit Management Team in his office, it was a perfect blend of her passion for honest, ethical government and her accounting skills. When elected she will continue the important work of the Office of the State Auditor to be a watchdog for Utah Taxpayers by providing an independent assessment of financial operations, statutory compliance, and performance management of state and local governments.

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Join our host, Senator John D. Johnson, as he welcomes Carlton Bowen, Candidate for United States Senate, Independent American party.

Carlton has been civically involved his entire adult life, first running for elected office at the age of 26. He was the first to declare his candidacy, then as a Republican, for what later became an open seat for Utah’s 2nd congressional district. Carlton finished 4th of 6 candidates in the GOP state convention.

Carlton ran for the U.S. Senate as an Independent American in the year 2000. He ran because incumbent Senator Hatch, who had been chair of the Senate Judiciary committee, was putting forth Supreme Court nominees who weren’t Pro Life. Carlton finished 3rd on the general ballot, beating the Libertarian party candidate.

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Join our host, Senator John D. Johnson, as he welcomes Cole Kelley, Candidate for Utah State Board of Education, District 12.

Cole's experience in the classroom gives him great insight into how best to help our students. Still, Cole has also been a teacher who has championed outside-the-box thinking and often finds himself at odds with the Utah Education Association (UEA) and National Education Association (NEA). In education, we have complained about the same issues for over 50 years, and nothing has changed.

Classroom size and teachers’ salaries are always the hot-button issues for over 50 years and nothing has changed. Classroom size and teacher's salaries are always the hot-button issues, but neither issue has had innovative conservative solutions to solve the problem. Cole has partnered with legislators and political activists to move some of these ideas forward, but the reality is that Cole is needed on our Utah State Board of Education to move forward conservative, free-market ideas that can truly improve education for our students and attract more professionals to the teaching industry.

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Join our host, Senator John Johnson, as he welcomes entrepreneur Jason Walton, who was a candidate for the United States Senate. Jason Walton was raised in Monticello, Utah, where in his childhood years he learned the importance of being an engaged member of the community and exemplifying neighborly values, rooted in integrity, honesty, and helping others.

In 1996, Walton graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and shortly afterward, in 1998, he started his first business. Today, Walton owns 35 businesses in 19 states, including 3 in Utah. He continually coaches business leaders across industries to new heights of success. As Jason scales his business, he is proud to create jobs, teach principle-centered living, and make the world a better place. Jason’s primary focus in business has always been on being the vehicle to improve the quality of life for its employees, their families, and the customers it serves. Walton’s vast business experience over 30 years has earned him a reputation as an innovative entrepreneur, champion of small businesses, and servant leader.

As a cornerstone of the Utah community, for the past 12 years, Walton has contributed personal time and resources to Best Buddies of Utah. He has also been involved with the Utah chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In addition, for the past 15 winters, Walton has led the hundreds of Utahns he mentors in the collection of thousands of coats for local Utah homeless charities. In addition, Walton encourages and supervises his partners, teams, and those he mentors to give back to the communities where they operate in meaningful, fundamental ways.

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Join host Senator John D. Johnson as he welcomes Jim Harvey, Weber County Commissioner, who is seeking reelection. Together, they delve into the intricacies of Weber County. Jim Harvey graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Integrated Studies, focusing on Communications, Sociology, and Distributive Technology.

He and his wife, Jane, reside in Uintah, where they raised their five children and have recently become grandparents. Jim enjoys spending time with his family, skiing, and riding dirt bikes.

Commissioner Jim Harvey is enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve the residents of Weber County as County Commissioner and to support the county's employees. While it’s challenging to have much influence at the national level, he believes he can make a significant impact on local government. He feels fortunate to serve in this role and is eager to make a difference.

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Join host Senator John D. Johnson as he welcomes Dave Owen, who is a consultant, speechwriter, political advisor, and more. Together, they discuss and share their perspectives on a wide range of current events.

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Join our host, Senator John Johnson, as he welcomes Burgess Owens, U.S. Representative for Utah’s 4th district. Owens played safety for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders, winning a championship with the Raiders in Super Bowl XV in 1980.