Midterm elections are approaching fast in the United States, with many states—including Utah—set to elect their representatives to Congress on November 3.

Utah’s Congressional districts have been subject to much controversy and uncertainty since November, when Judge Dianna Gibson rejected the Legislature-drawn map for violating anti-gerrymandering guidelines. The plaintiff-proposed map that Gibson selected creates a Democratic-leaning district centered on Salt Lake County.

Despite facing appeals and challenges, the map has finally been solidified as the one for Utah’s 2026 Congressional elections.

Judge Memorial, along with most of Salt Lake County, falls within District 1. While previous maps split Salt Lake’s population into all four districts, this map consolidates that population into a single constituency. As such, the district is solidly Democratic. According to the Cook Political Report, District 1 has a partisan lean of D+12, and Kamala Harris would have carried it by 24 points in the 2024 presidential election.

Smelling opportunity, seven Democrats have jumped into the race, making for a crowded primary. In the spirit of civic engagement, the Bulldog Press has written short profiles on all candidates to help voters inform themselves ahead of the primaries. Candidate filing closed on Friday, March 13.

Bulldogs who are registered to vote can cast their primary ballots on June 23. Those who are not registered can do so at vote.utah.gov.

Democratic Candidates for U.S. House District 1

Nate Blouin

Blouin has served as a State Senator representing Utah’s 13th Senate District since 2023. Financial difficulties from student loans and medical bills inspired Blouin’s brand as a progressive “fighter” on Capitol Hill. Blouin has perhaps the highest profile endorsement in the race from Vermont Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Blouin’s platform emphasizes this branding, highlighting standing against Republicans, progressive economic/healthcare policies, energy-focused environmental policy, democratic reform, and human rights protections as areas of focus. He uses his clashes with Utah Republicans, including being called a “punk,” as evidence of him being a “proven fighter.”

For more information about Blouin’s campaign, visit: https://www.nateforutah.com/

Michael Farrell

Farrell is a Salt Lake City tax attorney and self-described progressive Democrat. Farrell emphasizes that he is not a career politician, and told SLUG Magazine, “I’m not beholden to special interests like so many candidates, so I can be unapologetically myself.”

Farrell’s top issues include affordability via progressive policy, greater government accountability, expanded civil rights, and more. He backs up his policy with the phrase, “We’re the richest country in the world. We can invest more in our people.”

For more information about Farrell’s campaign, visit: https://www.michaelforutah.com/

Eva Lopez Chavez

Lopez Chavez currently serves on the Salt Lake City Council, representing District 4 as the first Mexican American councilmember and youngest elected official at City Hall. She is a LGBTQ+, Gen Z, first-generation American who was born in Salt Lake City and raised in southern Idaho.

Lopez Chavez’s campaign emphasizes, among other issues, environmental stewardship, reproductive rights, and homeownership opportunities. She aims to fight for these goals while representing “the next generation of leadership.”

For more information about Lopez Chavez’s campaign, visit: https://www.evaforutah.com/

Ben McAdams

McAdams served as a member of the U.S. Congress from 2018 to 2020 representing Utah’s 4th District, which was the last time a Democrat represented Utah in Congress. Prior to that, he served as a Utah State Senator and Mayor of Salt Lake County.

McAdams hopes to pick up where he left off in Congress and “do what he’s always done—improve the lives of Utahns.” His platform focuses on four main categories: affordability, reining in executive overreach, protecting the environment, and defending human rights.

For more information about McAdams’ campaign, visit: https://benmcadamsutah.com/

Liban Mohamed

Mohamed is a former member of TikTok’s public policy team, and served in similar policy-related roles at Meta and the American Heart Association in Utah. Mohamed, 27, was born in Utah to Somali immigrant parents, and is both the only Black and only Muslim candidate.

He resigned from his position at TikTok when he “saw corporate interest being prioritized over the public’s interest.” This rationale mirrors one of his campaign priorities, Big Tech accountability. Other emphases of Mohamed’s campaign include dignified immigration, Medicare for All, affordable childcare and housing, and taking corporate money out of politics.

The Bulldog Press has interviewed Mohamed and written a more in-depth profile that can be found here: https://bulldogpress.org/6450/news/who-is-liban-mohamed/

For more information about Mohamed’s campaign, visit: https://www.libanforcongress.com/

Kathleen Riebe

Riebe represents Utah’s 15th Senate District as a State Senator, a position she has held since 2019. Prior to that, she served on the Utah State Board of Education and worked as a teacher for over two decades.

Riebe’s platform focuses on strengthening public education, lowering healthcare costs, affordability, and accountability for politicians. She touts “practical” solutions and a “record of bipartisan success” as reasons to support her campaign aimed at working families.

For more information about Riebe’s campaign, visit: https://riebeforcongress.com/

Luis Villarreal

Villarreal is a software engineer, self-described Democratic Socialist, and son of Mexican immigrants. He attributes his interest in politics to his parents, who took him to a Sí Se Puede rally as a child. At 26, he is the youngest candidate in the field. Villareal claims to be the only candidate from the west side.

Villarreal’s policies reflect his roots in a working-class immigrant family, as well as his Democratic Socialist identity. His priorities include supporting unions, affordable housing, universal healthcare, and immigration reform.

For more information about Villarreal’s campaign, visit: https://www.luisforutah.com/

Republican Candidates for U.S. House District 1

Adam Clayton

Clayton filed as a Republican candidate from Salt Lake City. He has yet to make a public announcement or post a platform.

Stone Fonua

Fonua has run for federal office multiple times as a member of multiple parties. In 2023, he lost the United Utah Party nomination in the race for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District. In 2018, he ran for Senate as a Republican, where he was eliminated at convention and failed to make the primary ballot. In 2016, he ran for Senate as a member of the Independent American Party, an ultraconservative party.

Fonua has yet to make a public announcement or post a platform.

Riley Owen

Owen is an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve and former White House staffer, where he worked on industrial policy. Owen, 27, also played rugby at Princeton, was an Eisenhower Scholar at Oxford, and served an LDS mission in Denmark.

Riley’s platform consists of three primary policy categories: protecting young students from social media and tech, making it more affordable to raise a family, and limiting the influence of career politicians. He says that politics has “become obsessed with hot-button anger-tainment” and hopes to put polarization aside.

For more information about Owen’s campaign, visit: https://www.utahriley.com/

Jonathan Lopez

Lopez ran as a Democrat for Congress representing District 4 in 2024, where he lost the party nomination to Katrina Fallick-Wang. He has filed as a Republican in this race, and is yet to make a public announcement or post a platform.

Dave Robinson

Robinson ran for Salt Lake County Mayor in 2016 (losing to McAdams). Robinson, who is gay, also served as Salt Lake County GOP communications director until 2021, when he was ousted following allegations of harassment.

Robinson’s platform focuses on his prior accomplishments and overall principles as a candidate. It emphasizes his values of transparency, “Big Tent” politics, and respectful leadership. He touts his opposition to the proposed Little Cottonwood Gondola, modernization of water rights laws, development of infill housing, and more as part of his track record.

For more information about Robinson’s campaign, visit: https://daverobinsonutah.com/

Third Party Candidates for U.S. House District 1

January Walker – Forward Party

Walker has filed as the only Forward Party candidate in the District 1 race. The Forward Party of Utah, formerly the United Utah Party, is a centrist political party focused on populist reform and reducing partisan polarization.

Previously, Walker ran for Congress representing District 4 in 2024 as an Independent, where she failed to appear on the ballot. In 2023, she ran for Congress representing District 2 as the United Utah Party nominee (defeating Fonua). She ran another Congressional campaign in 2022, again for District 4 as the United Utah Party nominee.

Walker has yet to make a public announcement or post a platform.

Jesse West – Libertarian Party

West is an attorney and the Salt Lake County Chair of the Utah Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party supports personal liberties, fiscal conservatism, and limited government.

West has yet to make a public announcement or post a platform.