SALT LAKE CITY – The creation of a newly Democratic US House seat in Salt Lake County has given Utah Democrats a chance to send one of their own back to Congress.
Former Democratic US Rep. Ben McAdams won last month’s Democratic primary in the newly created 1st Congressional District, with 51.9% of the vote.
McAdams will face Republican Riley Owen and Libertarian Jesse West in November’s general election.
With the chance to have a Democrat back in Congress, Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King told Utah Junction the party is looking forward to having more Utahns represented.
“We benefit as a state from having a better political balance and competition between the parties as opposed to a monopoly,” King said.
King called McAdams a “strong, credible” Democrat who will be a strong voice for Utah.
“He’s going to bring focus and interest from Democrats across the country. He’s going to bring resources,” King said.
New landscape, new priorities
In an interview, McAdams told Utah Junction that with the creation of a new seat, voters are excited to have their voices heard.
“Utah voters are excited to have a voice that, for far too long, they’ve been silenced by gerrymandering that has predetermined the outcome of an election, and I think for the first time in years, voters will be able to elect somebody who reflects their views,” McAdams said.
McAdams previously represented the state’s 4th congressional district from 2019 to 2021. He lost his 2020 bid for reelection to Republican US Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah County).
The political landscape has changed since his first congressional campaign, McAdams said.
“Times have changed. Donald Trump is dismantling our democracy, and he is an authoritarian, and he is doing everything he can to consolidate power,” McAdams said. “These times require somebody who has the courage to stand up to the abuses that we’re seeing from this administration.”
McAdams said priorities for voters have changed, too.
“People are struggling. They’re working two jobs and a side hustle. and still struggling to put food on the table. I think voters are really focused on, most immediately, how are they going to support themselves and their families?”
The Great Salt Lake and the Stratos Project
As for his priorities as a lawmaker, McAdams said he’d like to address voters’ concerns about the high costs of living and housing, along with concerns about the Great Salt Lake and the planned Stratos Project data center.
McAdams said he plans to work on legislation dedicated to providing federal resources toward water conservation.
The Great Salt Lake’s water levels have steadily declined over time due to drought, climate change, and water diversion for human needs.
“I think we have a pretty good idea of what it’s gonna take to restore the lake,” McAdams said.
Experts say adding 800,000 acre-feet of water per year to the lake, over 30 years, is vital to restoring it to healthy levels.
“That’s going to cost money to secure the water and dedicate it to the lake,” McAdams said.
Additionally, McAdams said he strongly opposes the Stratos Project and expressed concern about its water usage and impacts on air quality.
Opponents of the Stratos Project have expressed concern over the lack of information surrounding the project, as an environmental study has not been done yet. Scientists worry it could pollute the air and raise temperatures in the area.
However, McAdams was criticized in the primary by fellow Democratic candidate Nate Blouin for support he received from the Think Big political action committee (PAC), because of the PAC’s focus on advancing AI and AI-related infrastructure.
Think Big spent $450,000 on TV ads supporting McAdams.
McAdams said that money was not something his campaign needed.
“I don’t think that the ads that they ran impacted the race in any way. So it was not something that we sought after, and certainly not something that we appreciated,” McAdams said.
He also said that he believes big money needs to be removed from politics.
Uniting Democrats
King, the chair of the Utah Democratic Party, said he hopes and expects Utah Democrats to minimize infighting in the party.
Instead, King thinks the focus will be on maximizing, “The degree to which we work together to ensure that Democrats get elected and that we put a check in this year’s midterm elections on what Donald Trump is doing.”
McAdams agrees.
“I think a contested primary is healthy… But now is the time to come together. There’s so much more that we have in common than what divides us.”
McAdams said he planned to reach out to his challengers in the Democratic primary, and planned to “continue to learn from them” and “listen to their ideas.”
“Now it’s time for Democrats to come together for the people who are counting on us, and to stand up to protect our democracy from the attacks we’re seeing coming out of the White House,” he said.
