WASHINGTON — A handful of Democrats are already considering a run for Congress under the new congressional map being advanced in Utah, setting the stage for what could be a crowded primary in one of the most competitive races the Beehive State has seen in years.
The Utah Legislature approved a new version of its congressional map on Monday, which would solidify two of the seats — District 1 and District 4, which encompass northern Utah and southwestern Utah, respectively — as solidly Republican while making Districts 2 and 3 much more competitive.
While several Democrats are waiting to see if those maps will be approved before the November midterm elections, many told the Deseret News they’d likely throw their hat in the ring once the 2026 campaign cycle begins in earnest.
Former Rep. Ben McAdams
Among those is former Rep. Ben McAdams, who previously represented Utah’s 4th Congressional District for one term before being ousted by Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, who currently holds the seat. Sources familiar with McAdams’ thinking told the Deseret News he is preparing to run for his old seat if the map is finalized, but the former congressman has declined to weigh in on the matter.
McAdams would benefit from name recognition among voters, particularly in the Salt Lake area, as well as his impressive fundraising numbers. McAdams raised $5.6 million during his 2020 reelection bid.
State Sen. Nate Blouin
There are several state-level Democrats also eyeing a bid. Among them is state Sen. Nate Blouin, whose district encompasses portions of Salt Lake County.
Blouin told the Deseret News he’s “not made it a secret” that he’d be interested in a potential bid, particularly in a district that is considered more left-leaning.
“I’d love to put my name in for it,” Blouin said in an interview with the Deseret News. “And I think my record will be well-suited for one of those sorts of seats.”
But Blouin, who engaged in debates on proposed maps and voted against the current iteration being advanced, contended the final makeup of the state’s congressional districts could look different than the so-called “Option C” that was approved by the Legislature this week. If a seat is more light red, Blouin noted voters in that district might prefer a more moderate Democrat such as McAdams.
“I think we deserve some representation that matches the sorts of districts that we get, and, you know, those look very different depending on whether it’s a slightly right-leaning seat or, you know, potentially a further left-leaning seat,” Blouin said. “I think that’s the message is like, look, hopefully we get something that is more representative of the state than we have now, and if the legal process ends up in a place that that puts a more blue seat on the map then, I’m interested in that, and I’m sure there’s a number of other folks who would be as well.”
State Sen. Kathleen Riebe
And you don’t have to look far to find those “other folks.” One of Blouin’s colleagues in the state Senate has already made her intention clear that she would be interested in running if the maps are solidified with a competitive seat.
State Sen. Kathleen Riebe, who also represents parts of Salt Lake County, told the Deseret News she is weighing a bid — noting that while she does not support the map being put forward, she considers it “winnable to an extent.”
And the state senator hopes that sentiment is shared by other Democrats in the state and results in a crowded race.
“It’s exciting when you do get to have a choice as a Democrat when you have two people working really hard to win your vote and to get to know you,” Riebe said. “When you do have more people running, you can really hold people accountable, and it causes them to remember that it’s not a given, and it’s not a walk in the park.”
Riebe previously ran in the special election to replace former Rep. Chris Stewart in Utah’s 2nd District, but lost to Rep. Celeste Maloy who now holds that seat. A 2026 run could place Riebe in a more competitive district — which the state senator argues are no longer guaranteed for Republicans.
“I think that these seats are not a given anymore,” Riebe said.
Former congressional candidate Kael Weston
Another candidate considering a run is Kael Weston, an author and former State Department officer who previously ran for the House in 2020 against Stewart as well as the Senate Democratic primary in 2022 against incumbent Sen. Mike Lee.
Weston told the Deseret News he is considering another run, pointing to his previous experience serving seven years in Iraq and Afghanistan while with the State Department.
“These are very serious times for our state and nation and I believe Utah voters deserve serious congressional candidates with deep professional experience, which I have,” he said. “I also believe Democrats want strong leaders right now, locally and nationally. Not wishy-washy and weak.”
Weston lost to Stewart in 2020 by roughly 22 percentage points, although the Democrat was able to garner nearly 37% of the electorate in the deep-red seat. He was removed from the ballot in the 2022 Senate race after the Utah Democratic Party opted to endorse independent candidate Evan McMullin instead of nominating a party candidate.
Weston echoed sentiments that several Democrats will choose to run if there is a competitive district and can “make the case to voters” that the party can lead.
Other names to watch
There are several other prominent Democrats in Utah whose names are being floated as potential candidates, although they have not made any public comment.
Among those are Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall; Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson; Utah Democratic Party Chairman Brian King; Caroline Gleich, who ran against Sen. John Curtis in 2024; and state Rep. Luz Escamilla, who previously ran for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District in 2013 and for mayor of Salt Lake City in 2019.