Ben McAdams, a former Utah congressman who has sought to shed his reputation as a moderate, won the Democratic primary Tuesday in a redrawn U.S. House district that Democrats are strongly favored to win this fall.
McAdams defeated several candidates to his political left, including a state senator and a former employee of TikTok and Meta who had insisted McAdams is too conservative to represent a deep blue district.
The seat in the Salt Lake City area is among the few anticipated Democratic pickups following a national redistricting fight started by President Donald Trump to try to help Republicans maintain their majority in the U.S. House.
The 1st Congressional District race could be crucial for Democrats, who need to gain only a few House seats in November to take control of the narrowly divided chamber.
McAdams is strongly favored to defeat Republican Riley Owen, an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve who was chosen during the state GOP's spring convention.
The other three of Utah's four congressional seats are considered safely Republican, including the 3rd District, where U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy, who was endorsed by Trump, fended off a conservative challenge from the right.
Former Democratic congressman tries to recast himself
Candidates in the new Salt Lake City-area district tried to outflank one another on the left. That marks a departure from decades of Democrats trying to appeal to Utah's mostly conservative electorate.
State Democrats held an open primary, meaning anyone in the district can vote, regardless of party affiliation.
McAdams previously described himself as pro-life and pitched himself as a moderate during his 2018 campaign, when he ousted a GOP incumbent in the midterms of Trump's first term. This year, as he campaigned in a much more Democratic district, McAdams pledged his support for abortion rights and insisted that he's only "moderate in tone."
Other Democrats draw endorsements from prominent progressives
Among McAdams' opponents was state Sen. Nate Blouin, a progressive firebrand in the Republican-controlled Legislature who is hoping to bounce back from a social media controversy.
Blouin apologized in April for several posts he made on internet forums between 2009 and 2015 that denigrated women and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Utah-based faith known widely as the Mormon church.
Blouin tried to energize an electorate he said has grown accustomed to settling for someone who will "play nice" with Republicans. He racked up endorsements from some of the country's most prominent progressives, including independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Greg Casar and Maxwell Frost.
Two political newcomers, Liban Mohamed and Michael Farrell, also vied for the seat.
Mohamed, a former Meta and TikTok employee, was a breakout star at the state's Democratic convention earlier this year, where he emerged victorious after five rounds of ranked choice voting to earn the party's backing in the primary over McAdams. His competitors still were able to qualify for the primary ballot by gathering signatures. Mohamed was backed by other prominent progressives, including U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley.
Former state lawmaker who was pardoned by Trump challenges GOP incumbent
Utah's new congressional map also left Maloy vulnerable to a primary challenge from a candidate who is further to the right.
Maloy defeated former state lawmaker Phil Lyman, who embraced false claims of fraud following the 2020 presidential election.
The district, spanning most of southern and eastern Utah, emerged last fall from a legal battle over the state's previous congressional map, dramatically altering its makeup. The shakeup left Maloy vulnerable to a primary challenge.
Maloy was first elected to Congress in a special election in 2023 and was reelected to a full term in 2024. She worked previously as a soil conservationist and an attorney with a focus on public lands and water policy.
The winner will face Democratic nominee Kent Udell, an engineer, in the November general election. The GOP candidate is heavily favored to win in the deep red 3rd District.
Stay with fox13now.com and FOX 13 News for the latest on this breaking news story
