Ben McAdams wins Utah's new 1st Congressional District
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Former U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams makes his victory speech in downtown Salt Lake City on election night. Photo: Kim Bojórquez/Axios
Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams handily won Utah's 1st Congressional District race Tuesday, securing his return to Washington, per the AP.
Why it matters: McAdams will be the first Democrat to represent Utah in Congress since 2021, breaking the GOP's hold on the state's congressional delegation.
By the numbers: McAdams led with 71.9% of the vote, compared with GOP opponent Riley Owen, an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, who received 25.1%, according to unofficial results posted around 9:40pm.
- McAdams also fended off challenges from Libertarian Jesse West; Elias Montgomery, who is unaffiliated; and write-in candidate Bobby Darvish.
The big picture: McAdams, who served one term in Congress, campaigned on a platform focused on affordability and repeatedly said his 2019 vote to impeach President Trump cost him a second term.
Catch up quick: McAdams' political comeback follows a years-long redistricting battle over the state's congressional boundaries.
- Last November, a Utah judge adopted a court-ordered congressional map that redrew the state's four districts, including a left-leaning one that encompasses most of Salt Lake County.
- "In the district that you fought to create, the people of Salt Lake County picked their own representative," McAdams told a crowd energized by a wave of Democratic wins across the country in his victory speech in downtown Salt Lake City.
What they're saying: "This district is heavily urbanized," Damon Cann, a political science professor at Utah State University, told Axios. "That shift makes this district much more solidly Democratic than anything we've seen in Utah, maybe ever before."
Friction point: McAdams faced questions during the race about whether he could move beyond his moderate approach and embrace more progressive positions.
- He drew criticism for backing anti-Trump independent Evan McMullin over fellow Democrat Kael Weston in the 2022 Senate race against incumbent GOP Sen. Mike Lee.
Flashback: McAdams unseated incumbent U.S. Rep. Mia Love in 2018 but lost his reelection bid to retired NFL player Burgess Owens in 2020.
- He previously served as a state senator from 2009 to 2012 and as Salt Lake County mayor from 2013 to 2019.
What we're watching: Whether McAdams will shift left to satisfy core progressives in his new district.
What's next: McAdams begins his term Jan. 3.