Incumbent Rep. Mike Kennedy will be the Republican nominee for Utah’s 4th Congressional District.
At the GOP State Convention at Utah Valley University on Saturday, Kennedy won 78.7% of the delegates’ vote.
Kennedy filled former Rep. John Curtis’ seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after Curtis announced a Senate run in 2024.
“I’m a family doctor. I’ve done that for 25 years. I’m an attorney as well, and I was in the state legislature for 10 years,” Kennedy said on Saturday, after walking on stage to the “Rocky” theme song.
He described himself as a “pragmatic conservative who’s thoughtful and civil.”
Kennedy has performed well at Republican conventions since he entered the political scene. In 2018, he edged out former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney 51% to 49%.
Since the congressional maps were finalized at the end of February, Kennedy said he called every delegate in his district.
“You have done a great job telling me about what’s going on in your lives, and in fact, I’ve introduced a bill to adopt some of the ideas you’ve given me,” Kennedy said. The congressman then referenced his recent PROTECT Act, which aims to curb H-1B visa misuse by removing financial incentives for employers to hire foreign labor.
Kennedy has also passed legislation focused on social issues.
During his 10-year term in Utah’s Legislature, Kennedy said he “had the privilege to run the bill to ban transgender surgeries on minors in this state.”
“I will tell you right now, if there’s any federal legislation that’s going to jeopardize that bill, I will vote against it, and I have done that,” he said. “I have voted over and over to keep men out of women’s locker rooms, men out of women’s bathrooms and men out of women’s sports.”
He added, “I am proud to stand with you as a conservative.”
The other candidates earned 204 votes from delegates. Scott Hatfield brought in 11%, Seth Steward brought in 5.2%, Isaiah Hardman brought in 3.8% and Tyrone Jensen brought in 1.4%.
Correction: This article previously said the bill mentioned was the TECH Act.