Candidate Conversation: Ben McAdams for 4th District, Congress

Editor’s Note: This is part of a 12-episode series of Candidate Conversations with the Voices of Reason Podcast in which hosts Amy Donaldson and Jasen Lee talk with Utah candidates running for federal office. The podcasts offer unique depth into the candidates’ priorities, backgrounds and reasons for running to represent the citizens of Utah. This is an effort to help voters learn more about those running for office and their positions on critical local and national issues.

SALT LAKE CITY — Ben McAdams is someone who likes to find solutions to issues that face his community. As a state senator in the Utah legislature, he worked on matters of concern in his senate district, then broadened the scope when he won the Salt Lake County mayor’s race in 2012.

Now he’s vying to take on even bigger challenges on the national level in Washington D.C. by running for Congress as a Democrat in the state’s 4^th District against incumbent Rep. Mia Love, R-UT.

McAdams’ desire to bridge the partisan divide

“I’m running for Congress because I look at the state our country is in and it’s troubling,” he said. “The gridlock, the partisan divide, the unwillingness of lots of people from both parties to reach out and get stuff done I think is a real threat.”

“Now, more than ever, we need good people who will step forward and put their names on the ballot to work to heal that divide,” he added.

Speaking on the Voices of Reason podcast with Amy Donaldson and Jasen Lee, McAdams highlighted that point in describing how Democrats and Republicans are handling the nation’s healthcare crisis.

The high cost of healthcare

“I think of my friend, Dawn. She and her husband have four kids and pay $2,000 a month for health (insurance), which is more than their mortgage. Then she said, ‘Our copays are so high, then when our kids are sick we don’t even go to the doctor,’” he explained.

“Imagine having a house that you can’t even afford to live in. That’s what they’re doing. They’re paying their (insurance premiums) every month and they don’t have healthcare essentially.”

“While the parties fight in Washington, people in Utah are suffering,” he added. “The costs are too high.”

Hear the full Candidate Conversation along with McAdams’ thoughts on other issues here as well as why he believes Utah voters should elect him to represent them in Congress on the Voices of Reason podcast. To hear the other Candidate Conversations, subscribe to the podcast for free on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you enjoy podcasts.