Utah Democrats shift left in new House district after redistricting

Utah Democrats try a progressive lane in new district shaped by redistricting

For decades, Democrats aiming for Congress from Utah have often tried to position themselves as sensible moderates in a conservative state. Now, after a redistricting shakeup created a Democratic-leaning district anchored by Salt Lake City, the race for the House seat is turning into an ideological contest among Democrats. The AP reported that the shift is unfolding as Democrats try to build momentum for the midterms and to determine whether they can take back control of the U.S. House.

A central figure in the primary is Ben McAdams, a former congressman who previously described himself as pro-life and voted against a federal minimum wage increase. In the new campaign, as he runs again in a different district that includes all of Salt Lake City and much of its suburbs, he has pledged support for abortion rights and for raising the minimum wage, according to the AP’s account of a forum for young voters. McAdams has also argued that while he is being criticized from the left, he is “moderate in tone,” the AP reported.

The AP contrasted McAdams’ approach with his 2018 race, when he ousted a Republican incumbent and was considered, by one analysis cited by the AP, the most conservative House Democrat during his single term. McAdams lost reelection to a Republican, and in the current race he is seeking a different kind of appeal in the wake of a years-long legal fight that produced the new Utah map and the new 1st district. The AP reported that whoever wins the Democratic primary is likely to win the November general election, and that McAdams faces a half-dozen Democratic opponents.

Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, described Utah’s 1st district as a potential foothold in a red state. Martin told the AP that the party is pouring money into Utah to build the effort ahead of the 2030 census and possible House seat gains for fast-growing states. He said the party is spending at least $22,500 a month and emphasized a strategy of meeting voters where they are and building a platform reflecting “not just the majority of Democrats, but the majority of the people in the district,” as the AP reported.

The AP said a key feature of the upcoming primary is that Utah holds an open primary on June 23, meaning voters in the district can cast ballots regardless of party affiliation. That arrangement could help candidates who built broad local support in past races, but the AP reported that state party leaders said registered Democrats have enough of a majority to decide the nomination. The race also plays out against a political backdrop in which about half of Utah’s population belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faith that has long leaned Republican, the AP reported.

Martin also told the AP he expects youth turnout to play a deciding role. He said Utah is the youngest state with a median age of about 32 and argued that young voters are “up for grabs,” adding that Democrats sometimes assume young people are already aligned with them. The AP said this helped frame Utah as a major potential swing state, even though the Republican Party’s chairman, Robert Axson, rejected that view and said he was seeing generational continuity in conservative principles.

At a Saturday event in Taylorsville, the AP reported young voters said they want to elect a progressive Democrat. Milo Hohmann, 22, said state Sen. Nate Blouin is the “firebrand” Utah needs in Congress, and the AP reported that Blouin has endorsements from prominent national progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Greg Casar and Maxwell Frost. The AP said Blouin aims to energize voters who, in his view, have become accustomed to Democrats “play[ing] nice” with Republicans.

Blouin’s campaign messaging also draws on criticism of McAdams’ voting record, the AP reported, while Blouin defended himself against assertions that he has not passed legislation. Blouin told the AP that he has been blacklisted by Republican legislative leaders and that bills he sponsored passed after advancing under other lawmakers’ names. “I don’t measure progress by how many times you can get pats on the back from Republicans,” Blouin told the AP, and the AP reported that the stance resonated with Hohmann, who said he sees an “electric moment” for a Democrat who will not compromise values.

Other young voters described more mixed views of the field. Hannah Paisley Zoulek, 19, told the AP she was leaning toward Blouin or Kathleen Riebe, a former teacher who is also a state senator colleague of Blouin, while raising a concern that Blouin places heavy emphasis on holding positions even when it might make legislative work harder. Still, the AP reported that Zoulek and Hohmann both did not think McAdams was the right fit for the new district because of his more moderate record.

A different view came from Ben Iverson, 17, who will vote for the first time in 2026 and told the AP he considers himself very progressive while also seeing McAdams as “a great option.” Iverson cited McAdams’ 2019 vote to impeach President Donald Trump, according to the AP, and argued that left-wing voters do not want a moderate Democrat who will capitulate to the right. McAdams, the AP reported, also framed his candidacy around delivery on issues and said in an interview with the AP that “It’s easy to have a strongly worded tweet or talking points, but I can actually follow that up with accomplishments that are making life better.”