Doug Welton

Doug Welton

Republican Party

Utah House of Representatives District 65

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Stephen Whyte

Prior offices

Payson City Council

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Utah House of Representatives District 67

Successor: Christine Watkins

Predecessor: Marc Roberts

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$293.55/legislative day

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Utah Valley State College, 2007

Graduate

Southern Utah University, 2019

Personal

Profession

Educator

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Doug Welton (Republican Party) is a member of the Utah House of Representatives, representing District 65. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.

Welton (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Utah House of Representatives to represent District 65. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Doug Welton earned a bachelor's degree from Utah Valley State College in 2007 and a master's degree from Southern Utah University in 2019. Welton's career experience includes working as an educator in Japanese, debate, philosophy, and current issues.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Welton was assigned to the following committees:

• Government Operations Committee
• Transportation Committee

2021-2022

Welton was assigned to the following committees:

• Government Operations Committee
• Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2024

See also: Utah House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Utah House of Representatives District 65

Incumbent Doug Welton defeated Joseph Hansen in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 65 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Welton (R)	84.0	17,734
		Joseph Hansen (D)	16.0	3,373

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,107
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Joseph Hansen advanced from the Democratic primary for Utah House of Representatives District 65.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Doug Welton advanced from the Republican primary for Utah House of Representatives District 65.

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Utah House of Representatives District 65

Joseph Hansen advanced from the Democratic convention for Utah House of Representatives District 65 on March 23, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Joseph Hansen (D)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 65

Incumbent Doug Welton advanced from the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 65 on April 20, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Doug Welton (R)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Welton in this election.

2022

See also: Utah House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Utah House of Representatives District 65

Incumbent Doug Welton won election in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 65 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Welton (R)	100.0	11,749

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,749
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Doug Welton advanced from the Republican primary for Utah House of Representatives District 65.

Republican convention

Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 65

Incumbent Doug Welton defeated Jay Ugarte in the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 65 on April 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Welton (R)	67.6	69
	Submit photo	Jay Ugarte (R)	32.4	33

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 102
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Utah House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Utah House of Representatives District 67

Doug Welton won election in the general election for Utah House of Representatives District 67 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Doug Welton (R)	100.0	18,478

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,478
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican convention

Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 67

Doug Welton defeated Tamara Prado Atkin and Jay Ugarte in the Republican convention for Utah House of Representatives District 67 on April 25, 2020.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Tamara Prado Atkin (R)
	Submit photo	Jay Ugarte (R)
✔		Doug Welton (R)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2019

Three seats were up for election on the Payson City Council in Utah. The general election used a ranked-choice voting electoral system in which the five candidates on the ballot competed for one seat until a winner was elected. The remaining four candidates then competed for a second seat on the city council until a winner was elected. Then, the remaining three candidates competed for the third seat on the city council until the third winner was elected.

General election

General election for Payson City Council

Select round: Round 4 Round 3 Round 2 Round 1

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Doug Welton in round 4 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Doug Welton	60.1	1,566	372	Won (4)
		Linda Carter	39.9	1,040	258	4
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	0.0	0	-703	4
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	0.0	0	0	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	0.0	0	0	2

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Doug Welton	44.6	1,194	105	Won (4)
		Linda Carter	29.2	782	70	4
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	26.2	703	41	4
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	0.0	0	-245	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	0.0	0	0	2

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Doug Welton	40.2	1,089	42	Won (4)
		Linda Carter	26.3	712	21	4
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	24.4	662	37	4
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	9.0	245	31	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	0.0	0	-141	2

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Doug Welton	38.5	1,047	0	Won (4)
		Linda Carter	25.4	691	0	4
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	23.0	625	0	4
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	7.9	214	0	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	5.2	141	0	2

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,718
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Hardy (Nonpartisan)
• Michael Hardy (Nonpartisan)
• Michael Hardy (Nonpartisan)

General election

General election for Payson City Council

Select round: Round 3 Round 2 Round 1

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Brian Hulet in round 3 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	53.7	1,395	195	Won (3)
		Linda Carter	46.3	1,202	179	3
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	0.0	0	-425	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	0.0	0	0	2

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	45.3	1,200	83	Won (3)
		Linda Carter	38.6	1,023	47	3
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	16.0	425	77	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	0.0	0	-224	2

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Submit photo	Brian Hulet	41.9	1,117	0	Won (3)
		Linda Carter	36.6	976	0	3
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	13.1	348	0	3
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	8.4	224	0	2

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,665
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

General election

General election for Payson City Council

The ranked-choice voting election was won by Linda Carter in round 1 .

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Linda Carter	59.6	1,524	0	Won (1)
	Submit photo	Cary Kenneth Stockwell	23.6	605	0	1
	Submit photo	Scott Pinkham	16.8	430	0	1

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,559
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Doug Welton did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Doug Welton did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Doug Welton did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Doug Welton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Welton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Doug Welton. I have lived in Payson for most of my life. I love Payson! It is an amazing little town with amazing people. I am currently a teacher at Salem Hills High School. I teach Japanese, Debate, Current Issues, and Philosophy. I am a firm believer in community involvement, and believe I am teaching

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Communication and Transparency---These two items are closely related. I have actively engaged the community for the past four years through my Facebook page @DougWeltonPaysonCityCouncil We have very intelligent residents in Payson. I have found that clear and regular communication builds trust and understanding in the community and helps facilitate constructive conversations that make the community better.
• Planning---With all of the growth coming to Payson, it is essential that we have a plan in place to make sure we grow responsibly with an eye on the future, and not just the present. We have spent a lot of time working to update all of our master plans. This is important to let us know what size of pipe or sewer line to install. Knowing what is needed not only for the current development, put also for the future development ensures that we aren't digging up roads three years down the road to upsize water or sewer lines. It also helps to make sure we aren't spending money to upsize an area that doesn't need it. Planning also helps to maintain our small town feel while embracing growth. Putting the right things in the right places is key.
• Infrastructure---Infrastructure is tied closely to planning and growth. In order to grow, we need to install the proper infrastructure and upgrade and maintain current infrastructure. Our roads are old and we still have large parts of the city without curb, gutter, sidewalk, and storm drain. While it is not realistic to say we will be able to upgrade everything (cost prohibitive), we can put a plan in place to ensure funds are available, and prioritize infrastructure. We are planning on rebuilding Main St and the underground infrastructure from 600 S to 1400 S next Fall. We just upgraded our PI system and are saving for our sewer upgrade. We are currently discussing the options available to upgrade the curb and gutter in the city.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe that communities are better together. We have some great minds, and creative people in the community. We are better together. I am passionate about engaging the public so they know what is happening in the city and can give feedback . I love meeting with people in town and discussing their concerns, suggestions, and questions. Government should not be done in secret, and should be easier for residents to access. I have also been a big advocate of the master planning. The master planning process, I-15 realignment, county transportation discussions, and more have all been public forums that have engaged the public. It has been fun to meet with many of you as we have sought out public comment in the planning process. You can still share your thoughts at www.imaginepayson.com

I look forward to serving you and ask for your vote. Please consider me as your first vote. If you have a number, please consider me as your second or third choice.

Thank you,

Doug Welton

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

City government is the most basic and important level of government. It certainly isn't as glamorous as the other races, but it is the where the road hits the rubber most often for everyday citizens. What happens in city council has a direct impact on the residents of Payson. City officials also need to be able to interface well with state officials, business, and their constituents.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity is always at the top of the list. Integrity filters down to every other interaction, vote, work ethic, and decision made by an elected official. Integrity means you will do what you say you will do. Integrity also means that you are committed to doing what is best for the city. This means having the courage to change course if the data or situation warrants a change. Standing on faulty data just to be consistent is not showing integrity. A candidate with integrity will clearly explain what transpired that facilitated a change of course.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

I think most people know this, but often forget. It is the city council that votes and ordinances, zoning, fees, etc. not the mayor. The mayor serves a critical role of helping to run the everyday functions of the city, and is the figure head for the city, but most changes are made through the city council. The mayor does not have a vote, but s/he has influence.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It is helpful to be familiar with the workings of government, but certainly not critical. City government is best served by passionate individuals interested in making a difference. It is important for a council member to be able to look at issues objectively and be able to work with others.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

The ability to communicate is a must. Also the ability to work with others through difficult issues as they arise. The best ideas are the ones that are debated and discussed in a civil manner. City council members need to have thick skin, and must be committed to working with those they serve with and the community. There will be times a vote doesn't go your way. It is important to get back on the horse, and go back to work without holding grudges. Not everything will go your way.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Doug Welton campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Utah House of Representatives District 65	Won general	$44,267	$-33,462
2022	Utah House of Representatives District 65	Won general	$20,089	$-10,714
2020	Utah House of Representatives District 67	Won general	$5,630	N/A**
Grand total			$69,986	$-44,177
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Utah

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Utah scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 16 to March 1. Americans for Prosperity Utah Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Utah Cultural Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to arts and the humanities. Utah Education Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 17 to March 3. Americans for Prosperity Utah Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Utah Cultural Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to arts and the humanities. Utah Education Association House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 18 to March 4. Americans for Prosperity Utah Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Utah Cultural Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to arts and the humanities. Utah Education Association House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Utah State Legislature was in session from January 19 to March 5. GrassRoots Legislators are scored based on the organization's mission of "promoting the principles of limited government, constitution, representative government, participatory republic, free market economy, family, and separation of powers." Leap Forward Legislators are scored on their votes on bills the organization chose to evaluate. Libertas Institute Legislators are scored based on their votes in relation to the organization's "mission to defend individual liberty, private property and free enterprise." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Utah Education Association House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Utah Taxpayers Association Legislators are scored based on their votes on tax related legislation.

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Utah House of Representatives District 65

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Stephen Whyte (R)	Utah House of Representatives District 65 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Marc Roberts (R)	Utah House of Representatives District 67 2021-2023	Succeeded by Christine Watkins (R)
Preceded by -	Payson City Council -2021	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Utah House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Mike Schultz

Majority Leader:Casey Snider

Minority Leader:Angela Romero

Representatives

District 1

Thomas Peterson (R)

District 2

Mike Petersen (R)

District 3

Jason Thompson (R)

District 4

Tiara Auxier (R)

District 5

Casey Snider (R)

District 6

Matt Gwynn (R)

District 7

Ryan Wilcox (R)

District 8

Jason Kyle (R)

District 9

Jake Sawyer (R)

District 10

Jill Koford (R)

District 11

Katy Hall (R)

District 12

Mike Schultz (R)

District 13

Karen Peterson (R)

District 14

Karianne Lisonbee (R)

District 15

Ariel Defay (R)

District 16

Trevor Lee (R)

District 17

Stewart Barlow (R)

District 18

Paul Cutler (R)

District 19

Raymond Ward (R)

District 20

Melissa Ballard (R)

District 21

Sandra Hollins (D)

District 22

Jen Dailey-Provost (D)

District 23

Hoang Nguyen (D)

District 24

Grant Miller (D)

District 25

Angela Romero (D)

District 26

Matt MacPherson (R)

District 27

Anthony Loubet (R)

District 28

Nicholeen Peck (R)

District 29

Bridger Bolinder (R)

District 30

Jake Fitisemanu (D)

District 31

Verona Mauga (D)

District 32

Sahara Hayes (D)

District 33

Doug Owens (D)

District 34

Carol Moss (D)

District 35

Rosalba Dominguez (D)

District 36

Jim Dunnigan (R)

District 37

Ashlee Matthews (D)

District 38

Cheryl Acton (R)

District 39

Ken Ivory (R)

District 40

Andrew Stoddard (D)

District 41

Gay Lynn Bennion (D)

District 42

Clint Okerlund (R)

District 43

Steven Eliason (R)

District 44

Jordan Teuscher (R)

District 45

Tracy Miller (R)

District 46

Cal Roberts (R)

District 47

Mark Strong (R)

District 48

Doug Fiefia (R)

District 49

Candice Pierucci (R)

District 50

Stephanie Gricius (R)

District 51

Leah Hansen (R)

District 52

Cory Maloy (R)

District 53

Kay Christofferson (R)

District 54

Kristen Chevrier (R)

District 55

Jon Hawkins (R)

District 56

Val Peterson (R)

District 57

Nelson Abbott (R)

District 58

David Shallenberger (R)

District 59

Mike Kohler (R)

District 60

Tyler Clancy (R)

District 61

Lisa Shepherd (R)

District 62

Norman Thurston (R)

District 63

Stephen Whyte (R)

District 64

Jefferson Burton (R)

District 65

Doug Welton (R)

District 66

Troy Shelley (R)

District 67

Christine Watkins (R)

District 68

Scott Chew (R)

District 69

Logan Monson (R)

District 70

Carl Albrecht (R)

District 71

Rex Shipp (R)

District 72

Joseph Elison (R)

District 73

Colin Jack (R)

District 74

Neil Walter (R)

District 75

Walt Brooks (R)

Republican Party (61)

Democratic Party (14)