McAdams defeats Owen in Utah 1st District race

Ben McAdams, a Democrat, won Utah's 1st Congressional District with 102,104 votes (71.9%) to Republican Riley Owen's 35,653 votes (25.1%), a margin of 66,451 votes, according to unofficial results from Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections. All reporting units have reported. The win sends a Democrat back to Congress from Utah for the first time since McAdams lost his reelection bid in 2020, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

What was at stake

The 1st Congressional District spans most of Salt Lake County, the state's most populous area, according to Utah News Dispatch. The district was redrawn after a court ruled in 2025 that Utah's congressional boundaries had been illegally gerrymandered, the Tribune reported. Third District Judge Dianna Gibson ordered lawmakers to draw fair boundaries and, after ruling they failed, chose a map submitted by the plaintiffs.

The key issues: McAdams and Owen both campaigned on affordability. McAdams said in an interview with the Tribune that skyrocketing prices of gas, groceries and healthcare motivated his return to politics. Owen, according to Utah News Dispatch, said the biggest distinction between him and McAdams was that McAdams wanted "bigger government" while Owen wanted market-based incentives. McAdams outspent Owen 17-to-1, raising more than $2.8 million to Owen's $164,000, the Tribune reported.

A little history

McAdams previously served in the U.S. House from 2019 to 2021, representing Utah's 4th Congressional District. He won that seat in 2018 by defeating Republican Rep. Mia Love, then lost in 2020 to Republican Rep. Burgess Owens by 1 percentage point, the Tribune reported. Before Congress, McAdams served as Salt Lake County mayor from 2013 to 2019 and as a state senator from 2009 to 2013, according to his candidate questionnaire.

Owen, 28, is a naval reserve intelligence officer who won the Republican nomination with 71.2% of the delegate vote at the Utah GOP convention on April 25, according to KUER. He moved to Utah last year, the Tribune reported. Owen was the only Utah Republican candidate President Donald Trump did not endorse ahead of the election, according to Utah News Dispatch.

Owens, the previous officeholder, opted to retire rather than seek a fourth term.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the canvass is complete. The county canvass period runs Nov. 10–17, with the statewide canvass of multi-county offices set for Nov. 23, according to state election records. Members of the 120th Congress are set to be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027.

Election results: U.S. House of Representatives - Utah 1st Congressional District (Utah General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 9:05 p.m. MST. Reporting: 1 of 1. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.