On the same day that the congressional candidate window finally opened after it was pushed back for Utah’s redistricting, a handful of Democratic Party hopefuls gathered at the downtown Salt Lake City Library branch.
The 71 Percent Coalition, a local progressive coalition group, and the Utah chapter of Black Lives Matter hosted and organized the town hall. For liberal voters, it was a chance to meet the candidates vying for the new 1st Congressional District, which is centered on Salt Lake County.
“I mean, there has been a lot of back and forth,” said Amani Khader, a coalition cofounder. “Republicans have been putting their best efforts into making sure that it won't happen. Fortunately for us, that they haven't been successful quite yet, but that doesn't mean they're going to stop trying.”
The evening showed how excited some voters are at the prospect of a Democratic-leaning district. The other three redrawn districts are still safely Republican. The question is, how far is the new district willing and able to go?
State Sen. Nate Blouin believes Utah is more progressive than meets the eye.
“So Bernie Sanders won very strong majorities both times he was on the ballot in the Utah primaries, I think that shows the Democratic electorate is ready for very progressive candidates,” he said.
Bernie Sanders won the 2016 Democratic caucus in Utah and the 2020 presidential primary. The long-time independent Vermont senator has officially endorsed Blouin.
There were two empty seats in the auditorium for former congressman Ben McAdams and state Sen. Kathleen Riebe. The six who did attend — Blouin, Salt Lake City councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez, Michael Farrell, former state Sen. Derek Kitchen, Liban Mohamed and Luis Villarreal — answered a ream of progressive-agenda questions.
It began with a quick-fire round where candidates held up paddles that read yes or no depending on their opinion to questions that centered around Israel’s foreign wars, race issues, the environment and the Trump administration.
“I loved it,” Lopez Chavez said, “I felt like this was an enthusiastic gathering of community.”
As the night continued, the candidates fielded more questions ranging from the economy, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and political corruption in Washington.
“It's clear that the two candidates that didn't show up today, Ben McAdams and Kathleen Riebe, don't care enough to respond to these issues or haven't prioritized these issues, which a majority in myriad were economic issues that affect all of us today,” Lopez Chavez said.
The room cheered and applauded every time a candidate resonated with them.
“It felt like our community had real power,” Lopez Chavez said, explaining that it showed how district voters are hopeful they have a real opportunity to have a liberal voice represent Utah in Washington.
It was clear that for the first time since McAdams left office in 2021, Utah Democrats are confident they will be represented in Washington. And with a largely blue district, the voice might not need to be as moderate as previous Utah Democrats who competed in more hotly contested districts, like the previous 4th Congressional District.
“People are fired up and really ready to support new voices with new ideas that are going to speak up strongly against the status quo, both Republicans and Democrats,” Blouin said.
A notable feature of the town hall was that all candidates agreed fundamentally on the issues being discussed, though Blouin said his experience in the Utah Legislature will help differentiate him.
“We have built the ‘coalition’ that can beat Ben McAdams and can beat a moderate candidate that is the status quo that has served in Congress and has taken votes that are not going to fly in this district,” he said.
The filing deadline for congressional candidates is March 13. The rest of Utah’s current Republican congressional delegation, minus Rep. Burgess Owens, who is not seeking reelection, have chosen new districts. Blake Moore will run in the 2nd Congressional District, Celeste Maloy in the 3rd and Mike Kennedy in the 4th.
Both Blouin and Lopez Chavez told KUER that they are on their way to collecting enough signatures to land on the ballot. Blouin currently has more than 5,400, while Lopez Chavez’s count is over 2,700, but she said they have submitted more than 4,000.
To get on the ballot, a federal candidate needs 7,000 signatures. Ben McAdams has already submitted more than that.
The nominating conventions for both parties are April 25, 2026. Utah’s primary election is June 23.
