2 Utah Democrats announce U.S. House bids after new congressional map ruling

SALT LAKE CITY — After a contentious ruling this week that resulted in a new congressional map for Utah, two Democrats have now announced plans to run for the seat most favorable to their party.

Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, and former Congressman Ben McAdams both said they will run to represent the redrawn first congressional district. The district represents much of Salt Lake County, which has a higher concentration of Democratic voters.

Riebe announced her candidacy Wednesday morning, followed by an announcement by McAdams on Thursday. McAdams is looking for a comeback win after he served one term in Congress from 2019 to 2021.

“People know me as somebody who brings people together to get things done, but I’m also somebody who will stand up and fight when we need a fighter,” McAdams told KSL. “I’m not afraid to stand alone if that’s what’s important to the people of my district.”

Riebe, who has served in the Utah Senate since 2019, previously ran for Congress in 2023, losing to Rep. Celeste Maloy in a special election. Currently, Riebe works as an educator.

“Families are struggling. Families feel a lot of angst and uncertainty right now and chaos coming out of Washington,” Riebe said, “and when I look at my peers that are running, they’re not as connected to families and communities as I am.”

The new first district is part of a congressional map adopted this week by Judge Dianna Gibson. She threw out the old map after a lawsuit, saying it didn’t comply with Utah’s Proposition 4.

Lawmakers drew a new map, but Gibson rejected it, saying it favored Republicans. The map the judge settled on was submitted by the plaintiffs who sued. That upset GOP lawmakers, as House Speaker Mike Schultz expressed earlier this week.

“You had a far-left organization provide the map,” Schultz told KSL. “That’s not what the people voted for.”

Legislative leaders have said they plan to appeal Gibson’s ruling.

Meanwhile, other Democratic candidates could soon jump into the first district race. Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, told KSL he is “seriously” considering running for the seat. Caroline Gleich, who previously ran for U.S. Senate, is also weighing a bid, according to a Democratic party insider. Gleich did not respond to a request for comment on her plans.

The first congressional district is currently held by Rep. Blake Moore, a Republican. Moore will run for re-election, his campaign said Thursday, but it’s unclear which congressional district that will be in.

As they kick off their campaigns in the first district, both Democratic candidates praised the new congressional map – and what it means for the state.

“Salt Lake County is the economic driver of the state,” Riebe said. “If you can’t have a say in what’s happening in the federal delegation, that’s pretty problematic.”

“Voters need to believe that their voice is heard and their vote matters,” said McAdams. “For far too long, we’ve had lines that are drawn that rigged the elections and manipulated results to silence the voters, and that just isn’t healthy for democracy.”

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Editor’s Note: This story corrects a previous version that incorrectly labeled McAdams as a senator.