Here are the candidates for Utah's 1st Congressional District race
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The U.S. Capitol. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The candidate field is now set in the race for Utah's newly created 1st Congressional District after the March 13 filing deadline passed.
Why it matters: The left-leaning district is widely expected to give Democrats a possible path to their first congressional seat in Utah since 2021.
Yes, but: The Salt Lake County-based seat hasn't stopped Republicans and other third-party candidates from entering the race.
Democrats
State Sen. Nate Blouin bills himself as a progressive with the backing to show for it, including support from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Washington state Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
- He says he plans to tax billionaires and enact Medicare for all.
Michael Farrell, a tax attorney, is campaigning on raising the federal minimum wage to $20 an hour, building more housing to lower rents, and establishing universal child care and paid parental leave.
Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez has called for abolishing ICE, banning corporate PAC donations and enacting federal protections for renters.
Former U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams, widely viewed as a moderate Democrat, was the last Democrat to represent Utah in Congress, from 2019 to 2021.
- His platform focuses on lowering costs for Utah families, protecting public lands from being sold and ending what he calls "violent" ICE raids.
Liban Mohamed, who previously worked on TikTok's public policy team, supports efforts to save the Great Salt Lake, opposes global conflict and calls for greater accountability for Big Tech.
State Sen. Kathleen Riebe, an educator and minority caucus manager, is campaigning on lowering the cost of living and preventing cuts to public education.
Luis Villarreal, a software engineer who calls himself a "working-class progressive," is advocating for expanded federal funding for housing construction, defending workers' rights and expanding Medicare.
Republicans
Stone Fonua has run in several congressional and Senate races over the years.
Jonathan Lopez previously ran against Rep. Burgess Owens as a Democrat in Utah's 4th Congressional District race in 2024.
Riley Owen, an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve, is advocating for attainable housing, congressional term limits and removing smartphones from K–12 schools.
Dave Robinson, a former spokesperson for the Salt Lake County GOP, is calling for federal oversight of the HOA industry and protecting Utah's water rights.
Forward
January Walker, a cybersecurity professional, has run in multiple congressional races as a third-party candidate.
Libertarian
Jesse West, vice chair of the Salt Lake County Libertarian Party, is a family attorney and vice president of the nonprofit Mushroom Society of Utah.
What's next: Primary elections are June 23.