Former U.S. House Representative Ben McAdams has secured a return to Congress by winning Utah’s 1st Congressional District, as Utah News Dispatch reported following preliminary election results released Tuesday night. McAdams, a Democrat, secured 72% of the vote to defeat Republican challenger Riley Owen, who received 25%.
Third-party and minor candidates shared the remainder of the vote in the preliminary count. Libertarian candidate Jesse West gathered 2% of the vote, unaffiliated candidate Elias Henry Montgomery brought in 1%, and nonpartisan write-in candidate Babak “Bobby” Darvish secured less than 1%. The Associated Press officially called the congressional race on Tuesday night after 53% of the total ballots were counted.
The election marks the first time a Democrat has been elected to represent Utah in the U.S. House of Representatives since McAdams lost a tight reelection bid in 2020. McAdams’ victory coincides with broader national election results showing Democratic wins across the country that reclaimed control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the party.
The results follow a yearslong legal battle over Utah’s redistricting maps. The legal dispute stemmed from Proposition 4, a voter-approved initiative in 2018 that launched challenges against the state legislature's boundaries. A court ruling eventually led to newly drawn congressional maps, creating updated boundaries for the 1st Congressional District. The newly structured district encompasses Salt Lake County, the state's most populous area.
During a celebration hosted by the Utah Democratic Party, attendees erupted in cheers as state election results updated on screen to show McAdams holding a decisive lead. The event featured several other local Democratic figures who were seeking reelection, including Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, state Representative Verona Mauga, and state Representative John Arthur.
Taking the stage at the watch party, McAdams addressed the crowd of supporters, specifically pointing to the organizers and citizens who spent years fighting for redistricting reform. He credited the voters of Salt Lake County with choosing their own representative through the newly established court-mandated boundaries. While celebrating the turnout and victory, McAdams noted that official state and county canvasses must still be completed over the next two weeks before the election results become final.
McAdams also directed remarks toward voters who backed his opponent or felt frustrated by political developments over the past two years, framing public anger as a continued commitment to community advocacy. Attendees at the gathering chanted national slogans following his remarks, while organizers played celebratory music.
During his victory address, McAdams confirmed that he had spoken by phone with Owen, a naval officer and former White House staffer under President Donald Trump. McAdams commended Owen for conducting a campaign focused on substantive policy debates over tariffs and housing rather than personal attacks. Owen, who was notably the sole Utah Republican candidate not endorsed by Trump via social media prior to the election, had emphasized market-based incentives during the campaign as his primary distinction from McAdams.
Speaking to reporters after the speech, McAdams addressed the economic pressures facing local residents. He told Utah News Dispatch that voters on doorsteps expressed deep concerns about inflation, covering rent payments, buying groceries, and paying for gas, arguing that Democrats need to step up to address these immediate financial burdens. McAdams added that while voters granted his party their trust, that support is temporary and must be continually earned through policy results.
McAdams previously served as one of the more conservative Democrats during his prior term in Congress and ran in a packed Democratic primary to secure the nomination. When addressing his political positioning following a debate in September, McAdams reiterated that he prefers to describe himself as pragmatic rather than moderate, telling reporters that his primary focus as a public servant remains making practical policy decisions that directly improve constituents' daily lives.
