Utah Hive Politicsfrom the publisher of The Weber County HiveRep. Rob Bishop (R), the former congressman, took the seat in May. His 2026 reports list $32,181, 57% from businesses, PACs and associations, and very little from the district. James Rich (Forward) of Perry reports $5,183, most of it voter data and video from his party, reported as in-kind help. This page follows both campaigns' money in and out, compares their disclosure forms, and grades Bishop's record.
Updated Oct. 4, 2026: checked against Bishop's three public reports (Convention, Primary and September 30th, read as pasted text). The April 17 payment to Bishop is listed on the public report as a personal loan reimbursement; the Transparency reason was corrected; Steve Hiatt's, Cody Stewart's and Adam Gardiner's lobbyist registrations added. Earlier update Oct. 2, 2026, with both candidates' Convention, Primary and September 30th filings (state data exports pulled Oct. 2) and their disclosure forms.
IN PLAIN WORDSA long-time Washington lawmaker is back in the Utah House. Much of his money comes from lobbying firms, trade groups and companies, and a few dollars come from the towns he represents. His opponent runs almost entirely on help from his party and his own company.
IN PLAIN WORDSHouse District 6 crosses the Box Elder–Weber county line north and west of Ogden. Both candidates live in Box Elder County.
District line from the Utah Geospatial Resource Center's 2022–2032 House districts; county, city and town lines from the U.S. Census Bureau, both through the Hive's Utah Maps files. Zoom in to see town names.
A schematic, not a boundary map. Places are positioned roughly north to south. The list of places in the district is from the Standard-Examiner (Dec. 31, 2025). Ogden is shown for reference only; part of Brigham City is in the district (see the map above). For the exact line, use the Utah Legislature's House District 6 profile or its interactive district map. Rich's campaign site lists two more places as part of the district: "the east side of Brigham" and Pleasant View. The state's district map above agrees: the district takes in Pleasant View and reaches into part of Brigham City.
How Bishop got the seat. Rep. Matthew Gwynn resigned in March, citing family reasons (KSL). Republican delegates picked Bishop at the state convention on April 25 (KSL). He was sworn in May 6 and serves through January 2027 (KUTV). He is also the Republican nominee for the full term.
Who he is. He taught high school history, government, debate and German at Box Elder and Ben Lomond high schools from 1974 to 2002, served in the Utah House from 1979 to 1994 (Speaker in his last two years), chaired the Utah Republican Party from 1997 to 2001, and represented Utah's 1st Congressional District from 2003 to 2021, where he chaired the House Natural Resources Committee (his bio on utahconstitution.com; KUTV). His disclosure form lists him as retired, most recently an adjunct teacher at Utah State University.
Who Rich is. James David Rich of Perry is president and a full-time software developer at Edward A.E. Rich and Associates, a Salt Lake City business-accounting software company (his disclosure form). BallotReady lists a University of Utah bachelor's degree (2002) and his presidency of the company since 2008. He is the Forward Party nominee. No Democrat filed.
In his own bio. His campaign site says he started at the company in an entry-level job, learned business software programming from his father, and bought the company in 2008. He studied jazz composition at the University of Utah, along with math and physics, and was student body vice president at Olympus High School in Salt Lake City. He calls Perry his hometown and says he volunteers as a morning crossing guard at Promontory School (move.forwardwith.us, About and People and Places pages, read Oct. 2, 2026).
IN PLAIN WORDSTap any card to see what the word means.
IN PLAIN WORDSAbout half of Bishop's money came from businesses and trade groups that work with the Legislature. Most of the rest came from people in Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties, plus two big personal checks from Logan and Salt Lake City.
From his state data export (Convention, Primary and September 30th reports, Jan. 1 to Sept. 25, 2026). No rows are marked deleted. Eleven entries, all from late April and May, are marked as amended; the public Primary Report dates those additions May 1, May 8 and June 11. That report shows a submit date of April 22, seven weeks before its period ended on June 11. His Convention Report starts 2026 with a $0.00 balance, and his September 30th Report shows an ending balance of $24,572.07, which matches money in minus money out for 2026.
Share of $32,181
The $18,251 from 22 businesses, PACs and associations
| Date | From | City | Report | Note | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/6/26 | Jennifer Brown | Bountiful | Convention | $30.00 | |
| 1/7/26 | Utah Association for Justice Inc | Salt Lake City | Convention | $1,000.00 | |
| 1/7/26 | Rob Bishop | Brigham City | Convention | Loan | $1,000.00 |
| 2/10/26 | Rob Bishop | Brigham City | Convention | Loan | $1,000.00 |
| 2/11/26 | Education First Utah | Centerville | Convention | $1,000.00 | |
| 2/26/26 | Adam Gardiner | West Jordan | Convention | $1,000.00 | |
| 2/26/26 | Provo Mining and Construction | Spanish Fork | Convention | $5,000.00 | |
| 4/16/26 | Stuart Clason | Salt Lake City | Primary | $250.00 | |
| 4/17/26 | Utah Rural Electric PAC | South Jordan | Primary | $500.00 | |
| 4/17/26 | David Ure | Elk Creek, Mo. | Primary | $100.00 | |
| 4/17/26 | Ernie Harwell | Brigham City | Primary | $100.00 | |
| 4/28/26 | Utah Mining Association | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $500.00 |
| 4/28/26 | Tim & Marcia Stewart | Logan | Primary | Amended | $5,000.00 |
| 4/28/26 | TAXPAC | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $250.00 |
| 5/5/26 | MJH Advisors | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $250.00 |
| 5/5/26 | Stokes Strategies | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $1,000.00 |
| 5/5/26 | Utah Association of Realtors | Sandy | Primary | Amended | $1,000.00 |
| 5/5/26 | Wayne Bradshaw | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $250.00 |
| 5/5/26 | Lincoln Hill Partners PAC | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $500.00 |
| 5/5/26 | UCU Political Action Committee | Salt Lake City | Primary | Amended | $2,000.00 |
| 5/5/26 | Comcast Financial Agency Corporation | Philadelphia, Pa. | Primary | Amended | $1,000.00 |
| 6/15/26 | Marathon Petroleum Corporation | Findlay, Ohio | Sept. 30th | $500.00 | |
| 6/15/26 | Clyde Companies Inc | Orem | Sept. 30th | $500.00 | |
| 6/15/26 | Utah Victory PAC | Bethesda, Md. | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 6/17/26 | Friends of the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Art Learning Program | Salt Lake City | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Cody Stewart | Farmington | Sept. 30th | $1,000.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Luke Johnson | Farmington | Sept. 30th | $500.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Steve Hiatt | Kaysville | Sept. 30th | $100.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Amy Newson | Salt Lake City | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Alexander Tarbet | Kaysville | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Thomas E. Wright | Salt Lake City | Sept. 30th | $2,500.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Michael Squires | Murray | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Jeff Hartley | Highland | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 6/22/26 | Michael Green | Draper | Sept. 30th | $100.00 | |
| 6/26/26 | Utah Bankers Association State PAC | Salt Lake City | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 9/8/26 | Citizen Action by Public Employees | Murray | Sept. 30th | $500.00 | |
| 9/8/26 | Holland & Hart | Salt Lake City | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 9/8/26 | UCAR PAC | Murray | Sept. 30th | $751.00 | |
| 9/8/26 | SEL Inc | Pleasant Grove | Sept. 30th | $250.00 | |
| 9/8/26 | Home Builders Association of Utah | Draper | Sept. 30th | $750.00 | |
| Total | $32,181.00 | ||||
IN PLAIN WORDSMost of what Bishop's campaign spent went to two consulting firms. One of them is co-owned by the man whose lobbying firm also gave Bishop money. That is legal. It means the same people are on both sides of the ledger.
| Paid to | Dates | Purpose on the report | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roost Co. | 4/17, 4/28 (amended) | Campaign Expense | $3,303.15 |
| AC Strategies | 7/21 | Campaign Expense | $2,553.05 |
| Rob Bishop | 4/17 | Other - Personal loan reimbursement | $1,094.56 |
| Weber County GOP | 9/4 | Donations | $250.00 |
| USPS | 4/8, 4/15 (two) | Campaign Expense | $225.99 |
| Stripe | 6/22 | Campaign Expense | $153.50 |
| AFCU | 1/4 | Campaign Expense | $28.68 |
| Total | $7,608.93 | ||
Solid arrows are money as filed on Bishop's report. Dotted lines are ownership from state business records, or entries on the Realtors' own report. A connection is not an accusation.
Roost Co. is Roost Communications LLC (state entity 13310231-0160, formed March 15, 2023). State business records list its members as Spencer Stokes and Matthew J. Holton, with Stokes as registered agent, at 505 East South Temple, Suite 200. Stokes Strategies, Stokes's lobbying firm, gives from the same address; Bishop's report lists that address for its $1,000. Roost also appears as a vendor in the Hive's HD-10, HD-17 and SD-5 files.
MJH Advisors ($250) is the firm of registered lobbyist Matt Holton, per the Hive's earlier lobbyist research. State records list Roost member Matthew J. Holton at 7430 South Parkridge Circle; Bishop's report lists MJH Advisors at 7340 South Parkridge Circle. If these are the same Holton, both of Roost's owners' lobbying firms gave on May 5, and Roost was Bishop's largest vendor.
AC Strategies received $2,553.05 on July 21. Bishop's report gives no address for it. Utah's Division of Corporations lists one Utah company by that name: AC Strategies, LLC (entity 12115697-0160), formed Jan. 14, 2021, with one member, Richard Austin Cox of Midvale. The state administratively dissolved it on June 26, 2024 after it missed its renewal; it shows as inactive. Bishop's payment is dated July 21, 2026, two years later. His report gives no address for the payee, so the record doesn't show whether this is the same business, a business using the name another way, or a company registered elsewhere (active companies named AC Strategies exist in Delaware, California, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio, Texas and Alabama). Education First and the Utah Association of Realtors also reported 2026 payments to "AC Strategies" (below). Education First, which gave Bishop $1,000, paid AC Strategies $1,355 for signature gathering on May 1, 2026, per the Hive's Education First file. The Utah Association of Realtors' own Primary Report shows three payments to "AC Strategies LLC" ($20,000, $3,000 and $2,500, the last for "Signature Gathering"), all marked deleted in its June 16 amendment.
IN PLAIN WORDSRich has raised little cash. Most of his support is work done for him: voter data and a video from the Forward Party, web tools from his own company, and shirts, signs and photos from supporters.
From his state data export (Convention, Primary and September 30th reports). Three rows are marked deleted with no details. Seven expense rows, mostly bank fees, are marked amended. By our math, cash in minus cash out for 2026 is $161.69.
Share of $5,182.86, cash and in-kind
Every entry of $150 or more
| Date | From | City | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/6/26 | James Rich | Perry | Cash (filing fee) | $83.86 |
| 1/19/26 | James Rich | Perry | Cash (web domain) | $8.99 |
| 1/29/26 | Edward A. E. Rich & Associates | Salt Lake City | Cash | $50.00 |
| 1/31/26 | Rachel Smith | Perry | In-kind: photo shoot | $150.00 |
| 1/31/26 | Edward A. E. Rich & Associates | Salt Lake City | In-kind: web development tools | $500.00 |
| 2/2/26 | Albert Lyons | Salt Lake City | Cash | $100.00 |
| 2/2/26 | Amy Rich | Holladay | Cash | $100.00 |
| 2/4/26 | Rachel Smith | Perry | In-kind: photography | $25.00 |
| 2/11/26 | John Goodell | Salt Lake City | Cash | $100.00 |
| 2/12/26 | Edward Rich | Holladay | Cash | $100.00 |
| 2/12/26 | Morrissa Rich | Holladay | Cash | $100.00 |
| 2/12/26 | Edward Rich | Holladay | Cash | $1.00 |
| 3/30/26 | Greg Greer | Meridian, Idaho | Cash | $25.00 |
| 5/18/26 | Forward Party of Utah | Draper | In-kind: voter data analysis | $2,554.42 |
| 6/12/26 | Cal-Pro Inc. | Ogden | Cash | $200.00 |
| 7/14/26 | David Hinckley | Orem | Cash | $20.00 |
| 7/17/26 | John Goodell | Salt Lake City | Cash | $100.00 |
| 8/18/26 | Forward Party of Utah | Draper | In-kind: video production | $500.00 |
| 8/27/26 | Mike Sims | Ogden | In-kind: shirts and signs | $304.59 |
| 9/8/26 | Nathan Carl Tenney | Perry | Cash | $10.00 |
| 9/12/26 | Kerry Wayne | Ogden | Cash | $100.00 |
| 9/23/26 | Elena Montenegro-Long | Ogden | Cash | $50.00 |
| Total ($1,148.85 cash + $4,034.01 in-kind) | $5,182.86 | |||
IN PLAIN WORDSBishop raised money steadily all year. Rich's biggest month was the voter data his party gave him in May.
Convention (through March 30), Primary (March 31 to June 11) and September 30th (June 12 to Sept. 25). Rich's in-kind help is counted as raised.
| Report | Bishop raised | Bishop spent | Rich raised | Rich spent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convention | $10,030.00 | $124.17 | $1,343.85 | $142.48 |
| Primary | $12,700.00 | $4,528.21 | $2,554.42 | $289.22 |
| September 30th | $9,451.00 | $2,956.55 | $1,284.59 | $555.46 |
| 2026 total | $32,181.00 | $7,608.93 | $5,182.86 | $987.16 |
IN PLAIN WORDSRich listed his company, his income source, two stocks and his wife's employer. Bishop listed himself as retired with one board seat. A group's website lists him on its board, and that group isn't on his form.
| Item | Bishop (R), signed "Rob Bishop" | Rich (Forward), signed "James Rich" |
|---|---|---|
| Employers | Current: Retired. Previous: Utah State University, Logan, adjunct teacher | Edward A.E. Rich and Associates, Salt Lake City; full-time software developer, President (current and previous) |
| Owner or officer | N/A | Edward A.E. Rich and Associates (business accounting software development), President |
| $5,000+ income | N/A | Edward A.E. Rich and Associates |
| Stocks of $5,000+ | N/A | Advanced Micro Devices ("Computer microchips"); Ferrari N.V. ("Luxury vehicles") |
| Boards, paid or unpaid | Cambridge Prep Academy, board member | None |
| Optional: property | "Homeowner" | Blank |
| Spouse | Jeralynn; no employers listed | Amy Ann Rich; employer Paramount Massage (listed under the question asked only if the filer sees a possible conflict) |
| Optional: other | Blank | Blank |
Both forms were read as filed text, pasted from disclosures.utah.gov on Oct. 2, 2026.
Cambridge Preparatory Academy is a K-8 charter school at 1724 South State Street in Provo, capped at 450 students, authorized by the State Charter School Board. Its charter application, posted on the state's Public Notice Website, lists "Robert Bishop (Director)" with the bio "Educator-Semi-retired." The board chair listed is Stan Lockhart. On Feb. 12, 2026, the State Charter School Board voted to let the school open in fall 2026 instead of 2027-28. The Hive did not confirm that it opened.
Cambridge Preparatory Academy, Inc. is a Utah nonprofit corporation (entity 14592591-0140) formed July 21, 2025; Stan Lockhart is its registered agent and incorporator. March 2026 State Board of Education minutes record the school withdrawing a waiver request.
Where it meets his donors: SEL Inc of Pleasant Grove gave Bishop $250 on Sept. 8. The Hive's earlier research, from a copy of state business records, lists Stan Lockhart as SEL Inc's registered agent. Education First Utah, an education-policy group, gave $1,000. As a legislator he votes on charter-school funding and rules.
The website utahconstitution.com, signed "Utah Citizens," organizes "Impact Councils" of residents who text and email their legislators weekly using talking points the group provides. Its home page quotes Bishop under "Our Leadership": "Federalism is the government system that provides the solution to our problems and the salvation of our nation." Its page headed "Board of Directors" lists him with eight others, including former Rep. Phil Lyman and Jen Brown.
The state form asks for every entity in which the filer serves "in a paid or unpaid position on a board of directors." His form lists only Cambridge Prep. The site gives no legal name, nonprofit status or address. Utah's Division of Corporations lists Utah Citizens for the Constitution, a nonprofit corporation (entity 12373457-0140) formed June 30, 2021, active and last renewed June 30, 2026. Jennifer Brown, who is on the site's board list, is its registered agent and one of its directors. The site itself never uses the full name, so the match between the website and the registered corporation rests on the name and on Jennifer Brown appearing on both. The registry lists four directors, last updated in September 2024: Brooke Johnson, Douglas Brunnette, Kent Nelson and Jennifer Brown. Bishop is not among the directors in the state registry. So the group's website and its state filing list different boards: the website names nine people, including Bishop, while the registry names four, three of whom appear on the website only as profile pages. On this record, his form's answer matches the state registry; the website does not.
Site pages read through a text fetch, Oct. 2, 2026; registry record from the Utah Division of Corporations page, pasted Oct. 2, 2026His old federal committee gave it money. On March 4, 2022, "Rob Bishop for Congress" paid Utah Citizens for the Constitution $2,000, listed as a contribution (FEC report #1579478). See "Forty-Seven Years in Utah Politics."
One of its directors gave to Bishop. Bishop's $30 donor on Jan. 6, 2026, "Jennifer Brown" of Bountiful, lists the same mailing address the registry gives for Utah Citizens for the Constitution. Jennifer Brown is the group's registered agent and a director.
Every required section is filled in. He also lists his wife's employer, which the form asks for only when the filer believes it may be a conflict. His company is a private software business; his stocks are in two large public companies.
IN PLAIN WORDSBishop joined after this year's session, so he hasn't cast a vote in the Utah House this term. He serves on the Legislature's Federalism Commission. In Congress, his best-known work was on federal land, and that record is graded below.
Sworn in May 6, 2026, after the 2026 General Session ended March 6. The Legislature's website lists no special session since then, so there are no floor votes to grade. Grade: PENDING.
Committee. The Legislature's 2026 interim roster for the Federalism Commission lists Rep. Rob Bishop as a voting member. Its nonvoting members include former congressmen Jason Chaffetz, Chris Stewart and Ben McAdams. Before he returned to the Legislature, an Aug. 18, 2025 commission agenda listed him presenting on federal involvement in education.
Not on the record: no public statement by Bishop on the proposed Stratos data center in Box Elder County's Hansel Valley was found in KSL, Utah News Dispatch, the Salt Lake Tribune, KUER or UPR coverage.
| Item | His role | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| S. 47, John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (2019) | Voted yes (House roll call 95, Feb. 26, 2019, 363–62) | Became law. It permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund and designated more than 700,000 acres of new wilderness in Emery County, Utah (Senate Republican Policy Committee summary). |
| H.R. 1957, Great American Outdoors Act (2020) | Voted no (House roll call 155, July 22, 2020, 310–107) | Became law Aug. 4, 2020. It set permanent, mandatory funding of $900 million a year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and $9.5 billion over five years for maintenance on public lands. Utah Reps. Curtis and Stewart also voted no; Rep. McAdams voted yes. |
| Land and Water Conservation Fund lapses (2015, 2018) | Committee chair | The fund expired Sept. 30, 2015 and again Sept. 30, 2018. In 2015 he told the Salt Lake Tribune, "I'm not going to sell out short, just because someone wants to keep abusing this money and create a slush fund." In September 2018 his committee approved his substitute to H.R. 502, a reauthorization, by voice vote (House Report 115-1091). |
| H.R. 3990, National Monument Creation and Protection Act (2017) | Primary sponsor | Would have changed the Antiquities Act, requiring county, state legislature and governor approval for mid-size monuments and congressional approval for the largest. His committee approved it 23–17 on Oct. 11, 2017; it never got a floor vote. |
| H.R. 5780, Utah Public Lands Initiative Act (2016) | Primary sponsor | Reported by his committee Sept. 22, 2016; never got a floor vote. |
Roll calls read on clerk.house.gov. Bill status from GovTrack and the House Natural Resources Committee's own roll-call record. The 2015 quote is from the Salt Lake Tribune (Nov. 2, 2015).
IN PLAIN WORDSBishop isn't new. He served in the Utah House, chaired the state Republican Party, spent 18 years in Congress and ran for lieutenant governor before returning to the Legislature this year. This section lays out that record and where his old federal campaign money went. Facts are marked with their source. Anything we could not confirm is listed separately at the end.
Utah House of Representatives; Speaker in the early 1990s. Sources disagree on the exact years. The House Historian lists 1979–1994 and Speaker 1992–1994; LegiStorm lists Speaker 1991–1993. The Hive uses the House Historian's dates.
Utah Republican Party chair, May 1997 to August 2001 (Wikipedia, secondary).
U.S. House, 1st District. He chaired the House Natural Resources Committee and later served as its ranking Republican. The House Historian lists his occupations as "teacher; professional advocate."
Attended the signing of Utah's Transfer of Public Lands Act (H.B. 148), which demanded the federal government turn over federal land to the state.
Advocated the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante reductions. His Antiquities Act rewrite, H.R. 3990, cleared his committee 23–17 (graded above).
Named running mate for Thomas Wright's campaign for governor. The ticket finished behind Spencer Cox in the June primary (KSL).
Had a mild stroke shortly before leaving Congress (Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 9, 2020).
Appointed by Speaker Brad Wilson to the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission; resigned Oct. 25, 2021 (KSL).
His federal committee gave away its last money, including $2,000 to Utah Citizens for the Constitution, and closed July 6, 2022.
Spoke at UVU's Herbert Institute (Nov. 2023), appeared on the PoliticIt podcast (Oct. 2024), and presented to the Legislature's Federalism Commission (Aug. 2025).
Won the House District 6 special election by delegate vote April 25 and was sworn in May 6.
"Rob Bishop for Congress" (FEC committee C00374231, treasurer Mike McCauley) took in $12.54 in 2021–22, spent $29,269.81 and filed a termination report July 6, 2022, with $0 left. Leftover campaign money can lawfully go to charities, other candidates and party groups. These are the recipients on the itemized pages of three reports, read on the FEC's filing archive:
| Date | Recipient | Listed purpose | FEC report | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/30/21 | Golden Spike Foundation | Contribution | July 2021 (#1523283) | $5,000.00 |
| 6/26/21 | Robertson for Congress (Henderson, Nev.) | Contribution | July 2021 (#1523283) | $1,500.00 |
| 3/4/22 | Utah Citizens for the Constitution (Ogden) | Contribution | April 2022 (#1579478) | $2,000.00 |
| 3/7/22, 3/28/22 | Tina Cannon for Congress | Contribution | April 2022 (#1579478) | $2,500.00 |
| 2022 | McCauley & Associates | Accounting | April 2022 and termination | $2,000.00 |
| 6/30/22 | Golden Spike Foundation | Contribution – Non Profit | Termination (#1606929) | $4,221.28 |
| 2022 | Tina Cannon for Congress | Contribution | Termination (#1606929) | $1,000.00 |
| 2022 | Citizens for Turner (Ohio) | Contribution | Termination (#1606929) | $1,000.00 |
| 2022 | Allied TeleServices (Cedar City) | Communications consulting | Termination (#1606929) | $2,859.20 |
The Utah Citizens payment. Utah Citizens for the Constitution was registered with the state June 30, 2021. Eight months later, his closing federal committee gave it $2,000. It is the same nonprofit whose website now lists Bishop under "Our Leadership" and on its board page (see "What Each Candidate Listed"). The state registry still does not list him as a director.
Golden Spike Foundation received $9,221.28 in two gifts. McCauley & Associates is the committee's own treasurer's accounting firm; the Hive's PAC files show the same firm doing compliance work for other Utah political committees.
Not shown: one 2021 report could not be opened, so this is not every payment. FEC's summary shows $2,000 as a "transfer to other authorized committee" that couldn't be matched to a line. Nothing here went to his 2026 state campaign; the federal committee closed four years before that race.
The Center for Responsive Politics' industry totals couldn't be opened directly, so these come from news reports that cite them:
Calendar year 2019, filed July 30, 2020 (House Clerk). Assets: an America First Credit Union account ($15,001–$50,000) and an Invesco Large Cap Growth Fund ($1,001–$15,000). Earned income, liabilities, outside positions and gifts: "None disclosed." He reported continuing in the Utah Retirement System pension "as a former public school teacher," and a Congressional Study Group trip to Germany and Paris, Sept. 2–7, 2019.
Cody Stewart, his Natural Resources Committee staff director, went to the lobbying firm National Environmental Strategies as senior vice president in 2019 (LegiStorm). He is now Director of Strategic Engagement at the Colorado River Authority of Utah, a state agency (its own staff page).
IN PLAIN WORDSWhat each candidate says they'll work on. These are their claims, not checked facts.
How this was read: Bishop's quotes were read on the Standard-Examiner and KSL pages through a text fetch. Rich's data center and lake quotes appear on his BallotReady profile, which draws on his campaign; they were not found on his site's home page. His site's Home, About and People and Places pages were read as captured Oct. 2, 2026; the home page names "restoring the Great Salt Lake" among his goals. No Bishop campaign website was found.
IN PLAIN WORDSMany of the names in this race show up in other Hive files. A connection is not an accusation.
Arrows are money as filed. Plain lines are board listings. Shelton's figure is from her own report, per the HD-8 file.
Adam Gardiner (Salt Lake County board) runs ASG Consulting Inc, a lobbying firm; his Utah lobbyist registration (created Aug. 23, 2021) lists 20 clients and the same West Jordan address that Bishop's report gives for his $1,000 gift; the Hive's Doers file notes he was an aide and campaign manager for Bishop's 2010 congressional race, per his bio. Cody Stewart and Steve Hiatt sit on the Davis County board. Steve Hiatt, a former Kaysville mayor, is a registered Utah lobbyist: his registration (created Sept. 19, 2018) lists his firm, The Hiatt Group LLC, and 25 outside clients, including Clearfield City and the Intermountain Power Agency. The address on Bishop's report for his $100 gift is the same Kaysville address listed for The Hiatt Group on that registration. A Cody Stewart was staff director of the House Natural Resources Committee under Bishop (LegiStorm, 2019); the Hive matched him to the Farmington donor by name, city and career history, and the address on Bishop's report is the same Farmington address listed for Stewart's lobbying firm, Integrated Government Services LLC, on his Utah lobbyist registration (created Oct. 14, 2021; seven clients listed, including Davis County, Grand County and Energy Fuels). The Doers Network itself gave to dozens of 2026 legislative candidates; Bishop is not among them in the state's records.
Spencer Stokes is a member of Roost Communications and of Stokes Strategies. Roost is also paid by candidates in the HD-10, HD-17 and SD-5 files, and by the Adams Leadership PAC.
The Forward Party gave Libby Shelton $2,365 in voter data and Rich $2,554.42. Mike Sims of Ogden gave in-kind shirts to both, per the HD-8 file. Rich's campaign paid Shelton's campaign $53.99 (see the flag above). The same party's voter data also appears in the SD-11, SD-13 and SD-20 files.
Rich's campaign gave $54 to the Forward Party's candidate for Weber County Commission Seat A.
Lincoln Hill Partners PAC, UCU PAC, Utah Rural Electric PAC, Clyde Companies, Education First Utah, Holland & Hart, SEL Inc, the Home Builders Association, the Realtors and Utah Victory PAC each appear as donors in several other Hive case files, including HD-7, HD-9, HD-17, HD-26, HD-27, SD-11, SD-19 and SD-20.
A Thomas E. Wright of Salt Lake City gave $2,500 on June 22. Former Utah GOP chair Thomas Wright named Bishop as his running mate in his 2020 run for governor (KSL). The Hive matched these by name only.
A Jennifer Brown is a nonvoting Federalism Commission member; whether she is the same Jennifer Brown who directs Utah Citizens for the Constitution and gave Bishop $30 is not confirmed. (The $30 donor's address does match the group's registered mailing address; see the disclosure section.) ABC4 reported that Bishop beat Brad Borrowes and "Karry Wayne" at the convention; a Kerry Wayne of Ogden gave Rich $100. None of these are confirmed as the same people.
Katrina Gibson's 2026 Weber County Commission Seat A report lists $1,000 from Rob Bishop of Brigham City in February 2026, as read by the Hive in June. Bishop's campaign report shows no payment to her, so it would have come from another account; the record doesn't say which. Gibson's family ties, and the Utah Forward PAC she runs, are the Weber guide's first example of connections the forms don't ask about.
The O'Leary Digital project in Box Elder County's Hansel Valley is outside HD-6. Willard and Perry voters are Box Elder County residents. Rich has stated opposition; no Bishop statement was found.
IN PLAIN WORDSEvery dollar each campaign reported, sorted into piles: people, caucus and leadership PACs, other organizations, party help and the candidate's own money. Bars are drawn to the same scale, so a short bar means less money. These are facts from the filings; they are shown here, not graded.
Periods differ where the filings in hand differ; each candidate's period is listed with their bar. "Own money" includes loans and money moved from the candidate's own earlier campaign account, as labeled. Disclosure-form lines come from each candidate's own form as described on this page. Added Oct. 2, 2026.
IN PLAIN WORDSEach topic gets a grade, A (best) to F (worst), on five questions: Does it check power? Can the public see it? Is it clear who pays? What does it do to air, water and land? Do the people affected get a real say? N/A means the question doesn't fit. PENDING means it hasn't happened yet.
How to read these: grades judge only what is already in the record as of Oct. 2, 2026. They judge the record, not the person. C means the record meets what Utah law requires, the status quo. B or A means it goes beyond that in a way the record shows. D means something is vague or bundled, or a public check is weakened. F means something required is missing, or a check is removed with nothing in its place. Candidates can amend a report or form at any time; when the record changes, the grade is updated and dated. Corrections are welcome at webercountyhive@gmail.com.
Overall is the average of the graded questions (A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0; N/A and dashes are left out). A plus or minus shows where the average falls between letters, and an average exactly halfway counts toward the higher letter with a minus. Added Oct. 2, 2026.
| Topic | Power | Transparency | Money | Environment | Community | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop · campaign money | C | D | C | N/A | D | C− |
| Rich · campaign money | B | C | C | N/A | D | C |
| Bishop · disclosure form | N/A | C | C | N/A | N/A | C |
| Rich · disclosure form | N/A | B | C | N/A | N/A | B |
| Bishop · Utah House record | PENDING no votes cast yet this term | |||||
| Bishop · congressional land record | Graded item by item below: S. 47 B H.R. 1957 D LWCF lapses D | |||||
| Question | Grade and reason |
|---|---|
| Power | C57% came from 22 groups, many with business before the Legislature, and 37% from individuals. No single group gave most of it. That is common and legal. The money, by category (2026 through Sept. 25): individuals $11,930 (37.1%); caucus and leadership PACs $0 (0.0%); other organizations $18,251 (56.7%); party help $0 (0.0%). Own money: $2,000 (6.2% of everything raised), all marked as loans; the public report lists the April 17 payment of $1,094.56 to him as a personal loan reimbursement, leaving $905.44 not shown as repaid. Own money is stated here, not graded. Power C: 39.5% of the counted money came from individual people. Checked Oct. 2, 2026 on the Hive's fixed scale; unchanged. Scale: A = 90% or more of the counted money from individual people; B = 67–89%; C = 34–66%; D = 10–33%; F = under 10%. Counted money is individuals plus caucus and leadership PACs plus other organizations (businesses, trade and union PACs, other candidates' campaigns). Ordinary party help and the candidate's own money are shown but not counted. |
| Transparency | DEvery donor and payee is named, and the $1,094.56 payment to him is described on the public report as a personal loan reimbursement. One contribution was reported late: Comcast Financial Agency Corporation's $1,000, received May 5, was added to the Primary Report by amendment on June 11, 37 days later, outside the 31-day window. One late item is a D, as on every page. The other ten amended entries were added three to six days after they were received. (The Realtors' deleted entry is on the Realtors' report, not his, and isn't counted against him here.) Corrected Oct. 4, 2026: the earlier reason, that the $1,094.56 payment had no description, came from the data export; the public report describes it. The letter is unchanged. An amended report or an explanation of the June 11 entry could change this grade. |
| Financial accountability | CSpending is small and the vendors are named. Most lines show only "Campaign Expense," which is what the state form allows. |
| Environmental impact | N/AA campaign report doesn't decide land or water use. |
| Community impact | DOne gift, $100, lists a Box Elder or Weber County address besides his own. It is from Brigham City, which the district only partly includes, so at most one gift may come from inside the district. |
| Question | Grade and reason |
|---|---|
| Power | B59% of his support is in-kind help from his own party, and another 11% is from his own company. Party support for its nominee is common and legal. The money, by category (2026 through Sept. 25, cash and in-kind): individuals $1,285.59 (24.8%); caucus and leadership PACs $0 (0.0%); other organizations $200 (3.9%); party help $3,054.42 (58.9%). Own money: $642.85 (12.4% of everything raised) ($92.85 from him and $550 from his own company, Edward A.E. Rich & Associates, which his disclosure form lists as his). Own money is stated here, not graded. Power B: 86.5% of the counted money came from individual people. Regraded Oct. 2, 2026 on the Hive's fixed scale; earlier: C. Scale: A = 90% or more of the counted money from individual people; B = 67–89%; C = 34–66%; D = 10–33%; F = under 10%. Counted money is individuals plus caucus and leadership PACs plus other organizations (businesses, trade and union PACs, other candidates' campaigns). Ordinary party help and the candidate's own money are shown but not counted. |
| Transparency | CEvery donor and payee is named, and in-kind gifts are described. A $35 payment to Women's Work says only "Political Support." |
| Financial accountability | CSmall and itemized, down to bank fees. The party's voter data is valued but not broken down. |
| Environmental impact | N/AA campaign report doesn't decide land or water use. |
| Community impact | DAbout $185 from two Perry supporters, under 4% of his support, comes from inside the district. The same standard is applied to both candidates. |
| Question | Grade and reason |
|---|---|
| Power | N/ANot applicable. |
| Transparency | CHe lists Cambridge Prep and added "Homeowner" in the optional section. Utah Citizens' website lists him on its "Board of Directors"; the form doesn't. The group's website presents him under "Our Leadership" on its home page and lists him on its "Board of Directors" page, but the state registry for Utah Citizens for the Constitution lists four directors, and he is not one of them. The form asks about board seats and paid leadership roles; nothing in the record shows he is paid. His form matches the registry, so nothing required is shown missing. That meets the law. Revised Oct. 2, 2026 from D after the registry's director list was read. |
| Financial accountability | CEmployment, income, business and stock items are answered. |
| Environmental impact | N/ANot applicable. |
| Community impact | N/AA form doesn't decide who bears a cost. |
| Question | Grade and reason |
|---|---|
| Power | N/ANot applicable. |
| Transparency | BEvery section answered, and he lists his wife's employer, which the form asks for only if the filer sees a possible conflict. |
| Financial accountability | CHis company, income source and stocks are listed, as required. |
| Environmental impact | N/ANot applicable. |
| Community impact | N/AA form doesn't decide who bears a cost. |
Utah House, 2026: PENDING. No votes cast yet. His congressional votes and bills are graded one by one below, each as a whole, on the same five questions.
| Item | Grade and why | What would have scored higher for the collective |
|---|---|---|
| S. 47 (2019), voted yes | BMade the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanent and added more than 700,000 acres of wilderness in Emery County. | Already above the line. Pairing it with full funding would have locked in the benefit. |
| H.R. 1957 (2020), voted no | DVoted against permanent, mandatory conservation funding and the public-lands maintenance fund, which passed 310–107. | Supporting the funding, or proposing an alternative that kept a guaranteed amount for land and water projects. |
| LWCF lapses (2015, 2018) | DThe fund lapsed twice while he chaired the committee that handles it; his 2018 substitute did advance by voice vote. | Moving a reauthorization before the deadlines, with his reforms debated in the open. |
| H.R. 3990 (2017), primary sponsor | N/ANot graded: it never reached a floor vote, so it did not change anything. | — |
| H.R. 5780 (2016), primary sponsor | N/ANot graded: it never reached a floor vote. | — |
IN PLAIN WORDSThese come from what the filings show and what they leave out. Each one goes to the office that keeps or reviews the record. None assumes anything improper.
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