WASHINGTON — The race for Utah’s newly formed 1st District has added another Democratic candidate to the mix: Eva Lopez Chavez, who made history as the first Mexican American to be elected to the Salt Lake City Council last year.
Chavez launched her campaign on Monday after weeks of speculation she may be considering a run after former Rep. Ben McAdams, who is also running for the seat, removed her public endorsement from his social media. McAdams initially included her in a list of endorsements but Chavez was later removed after clarifying she expressed support for his campaign but did not explicitly endorse him.
Chavez pointed to her experience growing up in a Mexican immigrant family that “didn’t have a lot” but shaped her into the policymaker she is today.
“Today our failing system is causing many Utahns to lose their only lifelines. This isn’t just about solving the affordability crisis or lowering the price of eggs, this is about us,” she said in her launch video. “This is about defending our families, our environment, and our district’s future. We need a fighter.”
The first-term city councilor is entering a crowded field of candidates vying to flip Utah’s 1st District that leans heavily in favor of the Democratic Party. The new lines are still being challenged by state Republicans but if they are upheld, Democrats are almost guaranteed to win.
The blue district gives Democrats a chance to run farther to the left than candidates have in the past, which could prove well for Chavez, who has focused her political career on “social justice for marginalized communities,” according to her bio on the city council website.
Chavez will face off against McAdams as well as state Sen. Nate Blouin, state Sen. Kathleen Riebe, and former state Sen. Derek Kitchen. Several others, such as former congressional candidates Kael Weston and Caroline Gleich, are considering their own bids, the two have separately told the Deseret News.
