Who's running in Utah's 1st congressional district
4 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Ending 'needless wars'.
Environmental protection, including the Great Salt Lake.
Ending the federal death penalty.
Reducing taxes.
Opposing 'oppressive' immigration enforcement.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Has not held elected office.
Family law attorney; chair of the Salt Lake City Libertarian Party.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No coverage making a case for or against West was found beyond his party's candidate page. His fundraising was not found.
Making solutions for the struggling Great Salt Lake his top priority.
Lowering the cost of living, including ending tariffs he says drive up food, construction and housing costs.
Being a check on President Trump's power; he says his 2019 vote to impeach Trump was the defining vote of his term and he would cast it again.
A federal approach to AI that protects data privacy and helps workers displaced by it; he does not categorically oppose data centers but opposed Box Elder County's Stratos project.
Supporting abortion rights, a change from his 2018 description of himself as holding anti-abortion views.
Building coalitions across party lines while being 'moderate in tone'.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
US Representative for Utah's old 4th District, 2019–2021; lost re-election in 2020.
Mayor of Salt Lake County and Utah state senator before Congress.
Voted to impeach President Trump in 2019.
Won the June 23, 2026 Democratic primary with about 52% of the vote.
Raised more than $2 million before the primary; a pro-AI super PAC in the Leading the Future network spent more than $1 million on ads supporting him, per the Deseret News.
Disclosed owning stock options in a data center project near Delta, Millard County, which he says was payment for consulting work.
Arguments in favor
His 2018 win over a Republican incumbent in a more conservative district shows voters see him as 'somebody who built coalitions and moved the needle and implemented solutions.'
— Ben McAdams, interview with KUER
McAdams would be 'a fierce ally for LGBTQ+ rights' in Washington who is 'going to stand up to that bully in the White House.'
— Supporter Donna Gunn, quoted by the Associated Press
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall declined to run for the seat and endorsed McAdams.
— Erin Mendenhall, per Wikipedia's race page
Arguments against
His Democratic primary opponents insisted he is too conservative to represent a left-leaning district; one analysis ranked him the most conservative Democrat during his term in Congress.
— Democratic primary opponents, reported by the Associated Press and KUER
Blouin framed the race as billionaires trying to buy a congressional seat, pointing to pro-AI super PAC spending for McAdams and his stock in a Delta data center.
— State Sen. Nate Blouin, primary opponent, reported by KSL and the Deseret News
'The advantage is very steep when you have additional millions of dollars from outsiders and corporations to pay for your message.'
— Riley Owen, Republican opponent, to the Deseret News
What we couldn’t verify
No NRCC or Utah Republican Party material aimed at McAdams in this general election was found.
Whether he has resolved or will divest the data center stock was not reported.
Term limits and age caps for Congress, a ban on stock trading by lawmakers and staff, and limits on corporate donations.
Tax breaks for employers that provide paid maternity leave.
A social media ban for children under 16.
Incentives to save the Great Salt Lake, and removing government obstacles to affordable housing.
Fiscal restraint that uses AI to deliver government services more efficiently rather than cutting them.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Has not held elected office.
Former White House policy analyst on the pandemic response; Navy Reserve intelligence officer; CEO of Doers Network.
Won 71.2% of delegates at the April 25, 2026 Republican convention and advanced without a primary.
Had raised just over $100,000 and loaned his campaign $30,000 as of June, per the Deseret News.
Endorsed by Utah Attorney General Derek Brown and former national security adviser Robert O'Brien.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Owen by name could be found, so no arguments are listed for or against him; his case is in his positions and endorsements. Searched: 'Riley Owen' with McAdams, Utah Democratic Party, criticism and debate; DCCC; Deseret News, KUER, KSL, Salt Lake Tribune and Utah News Dispatch coverage.
The first general-election debate is scheduled for September 29 and had not taken place.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
November 3, 2026 is Utah's general election, decided by plurality; there is no runoff. The map changed for 2026. In League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature, Third District Judge Dianna Gibson ruled in August 2025 that the Legislature unconstitutionally repealed Proposition 4, and on November 10, 2025 she rejected the Legislature's replacement map and adopted one submitted by the plaintiffs. The Utah Supreme Court dismissed the Legislature's appeal on procedural grounds in February 2026 and a federal panel declined to block the map, so the court-ordered map is in use; the Legislature's challenge to the underlying ruling continues in state court. The new 1st District covers most of Salt Lake County, including Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Millcreek and Murray, and has no incumbent: Rep. Blake Moore, who represents the old 1st District, is running in the new 2nd. The roster matches the Lieutenant Governor's official candidate filings list (updated September 8, 2026), which shows four candidates as election candidates: Democrat Ben McAdams, who won the June 23 primary over state Sen. Nate Blouin, Liban Mohamed and Michael Farrell; Republican Riley Owen, who won the April 25 GOP convention with 71.2% and faced no primary; Libertarian Jesse West; and unaffiliated candidate Elias Henry Montgomery. Babak 'Bobby' Darvish is registered as a write-in candidate and is not profiled. Candidates are listed in the order of the Lieutenant Governor's filing list; that is not necessarily the printed ballot order, and it implies no ranking.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Utah ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Utah Lieutenant Governor — Elections.