After a Utah court approved a new congressional map for the state including three Republican-heavy districts and one including most of the state’s Democrats, the state’s four incumbent members of Congress conferred about their options.
With one — Rep. Burgess Owens — choosing to retire instead of run again, the other three chose one of the safe districts to run in. That left the Republican primary in the new 1st District, covering the northern two-thirds of Salt Lake County, wide open.
In 2024, presidential candidate Kamala Harris beat Trump by 23 points in what is now Congressional District 1 (CD1), and since 2018, 56% of its residents have supported Democratic candidates.
Rachelle Morris, a former Republican Salt Lake County Council candidate, told the Deseret News how she sees the race taking shape.
“The only chance that a Republican has at winning this race is by being able to demonstrate that they are smarter, more competent, more collaborative and able to persuade swing voters to vote for a Republican” over their Democratic opponent, she said.
As of Thursday night, three Republicans have announced a bid for the seat: Riley Owen, Dave Robinson and Jonathan Lopez. Meanwhile, eight Democrats, including former Rep. Ben McAdams and current state Senator Nate Blouin, are gathering signatures for a run. Potential candidates have until Friday to register.
Utah’s 1st District race has national significance, Morris said. Given how tight the power balance is in the U.S. House of Representatives, one extra seat could “potentially make Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker of the House.”
Who are the Republican 1st District candidates?
After launching his 1st District campaign in mid-February, Riley Owen, 27, spoke to the University of Utah’s College Republicans club last Wednesday.
His message was straightforward: if elected, he would advance affordability, support families and curb career politicians.
“I think what Utahns are known for and what Utahns do best is finding common-sense solutions, advocating for what’s right and coming together as communities to build something,” he said. “I think there is an appetite for common-sense solutions, and I do think there’s a chance for a conservative to win in this race.”
After Owen kicked off his campaign with events at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University, Morris said she believes the 27-year-old will bring “some youthful energy to this primary.”
He told students at the University of Utah, “I want young people to realize that we do have a voice, that it matters, that there are more of us than the media or our friends or college campuses make it out to be, and that we can speak up and get involved.”
Owen said he believes the conservative movement is often misunderstood. He referenced Edmund Burke’s “Reflections on the Revolution in France,” and said, “Conservatives actually stand for change.”
“People say conservatives just want tradition, and they don’t want to change anything, but Burke says, ‘No, no, no. The difference between a conservative and a progressive is that a progressive wants revolution. A progressive wants chaos, a progressive wants change now,’” Owen said. “A conservative wants gradual, incremental gains that are ordered and controlled and stable, so we can help the greatest number of people. That’s why I’m a conservative.”
A descendant of six generations of Utahns, Owen grew up in Southern California, then attended Princeton for his undergraduate degree. After serving a mission in Denmark for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Owen served as a White House policy analyst. He then completed a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Oxford, and currently he works as CEO of Doers Network while serving as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve.
So far, Owen has received endorsements from Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, and President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, Robert O’Brien.
Dave Robinson announces bid for CD1
One of Owen’s Republican opponents, Dave Robinson, has been active in Salt Lake City’s political scene for about a decade.
Robinson ran against then-incumbent Ben McAdams for Salt Lake County mayor in 2016, and in 2020, he served as a volunteer communications director of Salt Lake County’s Republican Party.
In a conversation with the Deseret News, Robinson said the sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations, which were made against him in 2020 and early 2021, are unfounded.
There have been no criminal charges filed against Robinson, and he has since filed a defamation lawsuit against several Republican officials.
“I have denied these allegations and repeatedly asked for a third party investigation. I was left with going to the courts to clear my name. We are wrapping up the discovery phase at this time,” he said.
Robinson has worked as a homebuilder, which has given him “firsthand experience with land use, infrastructure and housing supply challenges,” he told the Deseret News. He believes the experience would help him address Utah’s housing affordability and growth.
Robinson also represents private landowners in Big Cottonwood Canyon “to help preserve access for backcountry skiers, hikers and campers, while also protecting private property rights.”
Regarding the idea that Republicans don’t stand a chance in the 1st District, Robinson told the Deseret News, “I actually think this is a great district. There are great issues, and I think the voters in this district have shown that they are heavy on voting on policy more than partisan lines. So I actually really like the district.”
Since McAdams pulled away with the mayoral victory in 2016, Morris said she suspects Robinson will “share some of those Ben McAdams war stories on the campaign trail.”
Morris added that she doesn’t see Robinson “being a pushover in the path to nomination.”
“And I have a feeling that Riley (Owen) is not going to throw punches at anyone, but instead is going to talk about policy issues that he believes matter to Gen Z voters,” she said.
Jonathan Lopez files bid
Jonathan Lopez filed his bid for the Republican 1st District primary race on Wednesday.
Lopez did not respond to a request for comment.
The race will help clarify the 1st District’s political leanings
“As a Republican who lives in Salt Lake, I’m aware of the fact that there are left-leaning voters who affiliate with the Republican party so they can vote in Republican primaries,” Morris told the Deseret News.
A competitive Democratic primary and general election will provide new data on Republican-affiliated voters who vote in a competitive Democratic primary when given the opportunity.
Comparing the Republican and Democratic primary races’ participation rates this election cycle “will give us some data to understand how many voters have been voting in our Republican primary but actually lean left politically,” she said.
Which incumbents are running where?
With confusion over Utah’s congressional maps this year, Morris said she believes many Utahns aren’t sure which district they’re in, not to mention who is running in their district.
“There is so much confusion, and I do believe that there will be voters who get their ballot in the mail and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize I’m voting in this primary.’”
Here’s where Utah’s incumbent lawmakers are running:
- Current 1st District Rep. Blake Moore will run in the 2nd District.
- Current 2nd District Rep. Celeste Maloy will run in the 3rd District.
- Current 3rd District Rep. Mike Kennedy will run in the District 4.
- Current 4th District Rep. Burgess Owens announced he will retire at the end of his term.
Other candidates who have filed to run include former gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman, who filed to run in the 3rd District; and current state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, who is running in the 2nd District.
