SALT LAKE CITY — There was a lot the Democratic candidates in the primary for the newly-created First Congressional District agreed on.
They uniformly expressed opposition to an ICE detention center in Salt Lake City, vowed to do what they could to save the Great Salt Lake, and even opposed the controversial Box Elder County data center. They each had ideas for health care reform and affordability.
But occasionally, they separated themselves to voters as they traded jabs. Liban Mohamed accused Ben McAdams of being owned by corporate interests and called Nate Blouin "performative," critiquing him for not passing a bill during his time in the Utah State Legislature. Blouin, McAdams and Michael Farrell went after Mohamed for his work lobbying for tech companies.
Democratic candidates debate in race for Utah's newest congressional district
They represented different flavors of the Democratic party in the new district created out of legal battles over redistricting and gerrymandering. The Salt Lake County-centric seat presents an opening for Democrats. While McAdams touted his record during his previous times in Congress, his more progressive challengers argued it was time for a change.
Blouin has called for his fellow progressive candidates to drop out and coalesce behind whomever leads a poll commissioned by his campaign. He argues it's necessary to defeat McAdams.
"I don’t think people understand the urgency of the situation if the goal is to forward the progressive movement, if the goal is to beat Ben McAdams," Blouin told reporters after the debate.
His fellow progressives said they had no interest in taking him up on it.
"It’s giving desperation is what I’ll say," said Farrell. "That he’s trying to push us to coalesce so that we can take out Ben McAdams. Nate? If you’re the best candidate, be the best candidate."
Mohamed pointed to his winning the state Democratic party convention, not Blouin.
"You have a candidate over here who is exercising what is clearly white privilege," Mohamed said of Blouin. "It is white privilege to call for the person who won first place — as an individual in third place — to step aside."
McAdams told reporters after the debate he was not surprised by it.
"When you have a record? You’re going to get attacked for it. The only I thing I guess harder than having a record would be to not have a record after having served in public office," he said.
