Utah — 1st District

Ben McAdams

Supports lowering housing and grocery costs

McAdams prioritizes tackling the affordability crisis by expanding access to affordable housing, lowering healthcare and grocery expenses, and opposing tariffs that drive up prices for working families. He advocates for first-time homebuyer support, cutting red tape that raises construction costs, and increasing the overall housing supply.

• Opposes tariffs and corporate tax giveaways that drive up everyday grocery and consumer prices.
• Supports expanding first-time homebuyer opportunities and cutting red tape to boost housing supply.
• Focuses on lowering health care costs and reducing prescription drug prices.

“I’ll work to bring down the cost of housing, expand opportunities for first time homebuyers, increase housing supply, cut red tape that drives up costs, and support policies that help working families afford a safe place to live.”

Riley Owen

Supports supply-side housing zoning reforms

Owen addresses housing affordability through market-driven, supply-side solutions rather than direct federal subsidies. He proposes conditionalizing federal funding to localities that implement common-sense zoning reforms for multi-family homes and accessory dwelling units.

• Promotes supply-side housing solutions to restore attainable homeownership for Utahns.
• Proposes conditionalizing federal local funding on zoning reforms for multi-family homes and accessory dwelling units.

“The white-picket fence home is now out of reach for most Utahns. Let’s solve this with supply-side solutions like common sense zoning reform enabling multi-family homes and accessory dwelling units.”

Ben McAdams

Supports electoral integrity and DOJ independence

McAdams emphasizes defending democratic institutions, protecting election security, and preserving the independence of the Department of Justice. He highlights his vote to impeach Donald Trump for presidential abuse of power and his legal filings defending Utah's fair redistricting maps.

• Voted to impeach Donald Trump for abusing presidential power.
• Filed court briefs defending Utah's congressional redistricting maps and voter intent.
• Endorsed by Defend the Vote for efforts to crack down on political corruption.

“As a member of Congress, I voted to impeach Donald Trump for abusing the power of the presidency, even though I knew it could cost me my seat.”

Riley Owen

Supports congressional reform and term limits

Owen advocates for restructuring federal governance to eliminate career politicians and restore public trust. His platform includes banning congressional stock trading, enacting constitutional term limits, introducing an age cap of 70 for federal office, and overturning Citizens United.

• Proposes banning congressional stock trading for members of Congress and staffers.
• Supports a constitutional amendment establishing term limits of 6 terms for Representatives and 3 terms for Senators.
• Advocates for a federal office age limit of 70 and a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

“Federally elected officials are exploiting positions of public trust to amass private wealth.”

Ben McAdams

Supports public lands and lake restoration

McAdams advocates for protecting public lands from development, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and restoring the Great Salt Lake. He highlights his vote for the Great American Outdoors Act and his opposition to sensitive terrain developments like the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola.

• Voted for the Great American Outdoors Act to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
• Opposed the SkiLink interconnect and Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola to safeguard watersheds.
• Pushes for smart water conservation policy to restore the Great Salt Lake.

“I will protect Utah’s public lands and national parks from being sold off and exploited.”

Riley Owen

Supports local land management and lake conservation

Owen emphasizes expanding state management authority over Utah public lands and saving the Great Salt Lake through collaborative stakeholder engagement. He criticizes presidential flip-flopping on monument boundaries like Bears Ears, suggesting congressional creation of national parks as a stable solution.

• Advocates expanding and protecting Utah's ability to manage its own public lands.
• Proposes convening local stakeholders and national agencies to save the Great Salt Lake.
• Suggests creating national parks through Congress to resolve national monument boundary instability.

“President Trump's executive order reducing Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments by approximately 90% marks the fourth time in four administrations that executive action has dramatically altered Utah's monument designations.”

Ben McAdams

Supports immigration reform and ending ICE raids

McAdams calls for a humane immigration system that protects Dreamers, TPS recipients, and asylum seekers while dismantling indiscriminate ICE raids. As Mayor of Salt Lake County, he created the Office for New Americans to assist immigrant integration.

• Advocates for dismantling indiscriminate ICE raids and replacing them with constitutional, safety-focused enforcement.
• Supports permanent pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and law-abiding immigrants.
• Previously established the Office for New Americans and United for Citizenship Initiative in Salt Lake County.

“I will work to dismantle the current enforcement model that relies on fear and indiscriminate raids, replace it with a system rooted in constitutional protections, and refocus federal resources on genuine public safety threats.”

Riley Owen

Supports rule of law immigration reform

Owen supports fixing the immigration system by upholding the rule of law while ensuring local communities can thrive economically and socially.

• Pledges to fix the immigration system through strict adherence to the rule of law.
• Focuses on policies that allow communities to prosper socially and economically.

“Riley will fix our broken immigration system by maintaining the rule of law while enabling our communities to prosper socially and economically.”

Ben McAdams

Supports public education and AI access equity

McAdams focuses on strengthening public education and ensuring equitable access to emerging technology so artificial intelligence does not widen educational gaps. In Congress, he sponsored bipartisan legislation to enhance STEM education in rural schools.

• Authored an op-ed highlighting the need to prevent AI from creating an educational divide.
• Advanced bipartisan legislation in Congress to improve STEM education in rural schools.
• Supports college student loan transparency and financial aid.

“Don’t let AI become the next educational divide”

Riley Owen

Supports age limits on social media and phone bans

Owen prioritizes student mental health and safety by restricting youth access to digital technology. He advocates for mandatory age verification (16+) for social media platforms, removing smartphones from K-12 classrooms, and developing college-industry apprenticeships.

• Sponsors legislation requiring age verification of 16+ for social media use.
• Proposes removing smartphones from K-12 classrooms to reduce student distractions.
• Advocates building apprenticeship partnerships between Utah colleges and advanced manufacturers.

“Our schools are too important to be distracted, degraded, and (if we do nothing) destroyed by smartphones. Let’s help students study, not scroll.”

Ben McAdams

Supports working family cost relief

McAdams approaches family support by reducing core household costs, including housing, medical care, and groceries. As mayor, he supported early childhood education initiatives like 'Pay for Success'.

• Championed innovative 'Pay for Success' early childhood education programs as Salt Lake County Mayor.
• Focuses on lowering health care, housing, and food costs for working families.

“I’ll go to work every day thinking about how to lower housing costs, get you the medical care you deserve and make life a little bit easier for Utah families.”

Riley Owen

Supports 6-week paid maternity leave

Owen proposes establishing 6 weeks of paid maternity leave by offering tax credits to participating businesses, framing family support as essential to preventing demographic decline.

• Advocates for 6 weeks of paid maternity leave incentivized via business tax credits.
• Frames family support policy as vital to avoiding an oncoming demographic crisis.

“If we truly are pro-family, then we should create the economic infrastructure to support having kids.”

Ben McAdams

Supports international alliances and ending nuclear tests

McAdams emphasizes restoring traditional U.S. foreign leadership and international alliances while opposing threats against allies. In Congress, he repeatedly passed defense bill amendments prohibiting funding for explosive nuclear weapons testing.

• Pledges to strengthen international alliances and restore American standing abroad.
• Passed legislative amendments to prohibit funding for resuming explosive nuclear weapons testing in the U.S.
• Supported extending the RECA Trust Fund to compensate Downwinders.

“In Congress, I will work to strengthen, not weaken, our alliances so that America can again be a trusted partner and respected leader on the global stage.”

Riley Owen

Supports military modernization and drone technology

Owen, a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and former White House appointee, advocates for modernizing the military by prioritizing cost-effective unmanned systems over legacy platforms, while asserting that 'America First does not mean America alone.'

• Pushes to modernize the military by shifting emphasis toward attritable, unmanned drone systems.
• Serves as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and worked as a White House trade appointee.
• Advocates integrating AI into government software to eliminate waste and streamline operations.

“Riley will push for modernizing our military to reduce costs and prioritize attritable, unmanned systems over expensive legacy platforms.”

Ben McAdams

Supports codifying Roe and LGBTQ+ Equality Act

McAdams supports protecting reproductive freedom by codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and safeguarding contraception access. He also champions LGBTQ+ rights, having voted for the federal Equality Act and helped pass Utah's statewide nondiscrimination law.

• Supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and protecting access to contraception.
• Voted for the Equality Act as the sole member of Utah's congressional delegation to do so.
• Helped secure Utah's landmark statewide nondiscrimination law protecting LGBTQ+ individuals in housing and employment.

“Decisions about abortion should be made by a woman, her doctor, and the people she trusts, not politicians.”

Ben McAdams

Supports protecting Social Security benefits

McAdams identifies safeguarding Social Security as a top priority, hosting community forums with former SSA Administrator Martin O'Malley and pledging to oppose benefit reductions.

• Hosted a community forum on protecting Social Security with former SSA Administrator Martin O'Malley.
• Opposes efforts to reduce or alter earned Social Security benefits for Utah retirees.

“Social security is a promise Americans already paid for”