Utah Civic GuideSalt Lake County · Utah · nonpartisan
Preview · data is being verified · analytical ratings are labeled opinions

2026 candidate

Blake Townsend

Candidate, Utah House · House District 36

OfficeCandidate, Utah HouseDistrictHouse District 36PartyDemocraticNext electionNov 3, 2026RaisedNot yet verified

At a glance

  • Certified Democratic nominee for HD36 (primary canceled; single candidate).
  • No prior elected office or voting record located.
  • No campaign-finance totals located.
Open compare
Analytical assessment, not factLow confidence
Overall
Fiscal
Social
Very liberalModerateVery conservative

Not ratable beyond party label (Democratic).

Rating method

Full details below are grouped by area. Facts link to public sources; "[COMPUTED]" marks derived dates.

Candidate notes (public record)
About this office: Utah House and Senate member

Part-time citizen legislators who write and pass Utah's laws and the state budget in a 45-day session each winter. The House has 75 members (two-year terms) and the Senate 29 (four-year terms).

Role
State legislator (House: 2-year term; Senate: 4-year term)
Hours
Part-time
Pay
$301/day; typical total about $25k–30k a year
Typical week
In session six days a week from late January to early March; interim committee days about once a month the rest of the year; constituent work year-round

Responsibilities and powers

  • The Legislature holds the state's legislative power. Representatives serve two-year terms and senators four-year terms (Utah Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 1 and 3; Legislature roster).
  • Passes laws and the annual state budget (appropriations acts), sets judges' salaries (for example S.B. 8, 2026), and the Senate confirms the governor's appointments, including judges (Utah Code 67-8-2).
  • Session: the annual general session begins "the first Tuesday after the third Monday in January" (Utah Code 36-3-201) and lasts 45 calendar days (Utah Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 16).
  • Taylorsville is split among House Districts 31, 35, 36 and 37 and Senate Districts 12 and 16.

A typical week

  • During the session (late Jan to early Mar): floor time and standing committees most of the day, Monday through Friday, plus some Saturdays, with appropriations subcommittees early in the session [INFERRED from the 45-day calendar; see the Legislature's session calendar].
  • Interim (spring to fall): legislators are paid for "interim days (designated by the Legislative Management Committee)" and other approved committee, task force and commission meetings, plus up to 10 training days (Legislative Compensation Commission report). Interim days are usually held about once a month [INFERRED].
  • Year-round: one representative told the Compensation Commission, "I consistently spend at least 20 hours per week during the interim responding to constituents, attending events and committee meetings, and working on legislation—without any compensation" (same report, p.47).

Time commitment

  • Part-time, but heavy: essentially full-time for seven weeks of session, then about 10–20+ hours a week in the interim [INFERRED from the Commission's survey]. Most legislators keep their regular jobs.

Staff and budget

  • No personal district staff. Legislators rely on the Legislature's shared nonpartisan offices (legislative research and general counsel, fiscal analyst, auditor general) and caucus staff [INFERRED from the Legislature's structure; survey comments in the Compensation Commission report].

Pay

  • $301 a day for authorized legislative days: the 45-day session is paid as a $13,545 lump sum in January. Typical total is about $25k–30k a year (FY2025). Receipted lodging, meals and mileage are reimbursed, plus a phone allowance; leaders get a $3k–5k stipend. The rate rises to $316 a day on Jan 1, 2027 unless lawmakers reject it (Compensation Commission report; Transparent Utah).

Sources

Compare with every office →

Sources