FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17, 2025
Contact: [email protected]
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – In case you missed it, former Congressman and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams launched his campaign last week for Utah’s First Congressional District, earning early support and praise across the district. In the first 24 hours of the campaign, McAdams announced he had raised $500,000, including 75% of donations from Utahns and more than 90% from grassroots donations.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Washington Post – This Democrat from a red state could help his party reclaim the House
[…] McAdams previously served as mayor of Salt Lake County and in the Utah state Senate before being elected to a single congressional term in 2018. He was raised by a single mom who brought up six kids and lived paycheck to paycheck and is focused on making life more affordable for low-income and working-class families, he said.
“Washington seems to have forgotten about families like mine. They’ve forgotten what real life is like,” McAdams said in an interview. “Instead of feeding kids, we’re working to deny SNAP benefits and health care subsidies that are so important to people’s ability to access health care, and I think it’s cruel.”
[…] “It feels like in the blink of an eye, Donald Trump has taken our democracy and trampled all over it,” McAdams said. “Many Republicans are his accomplices but I see too many Democrats aren’t doing enough to stop it.”
ABC4 – Ben McAdams announces $500,000 raised towards campaign, endorsements
One day after Ben McAdams launched his campaign for Utah’s First Congressional District, he announced that he has already raised $500,000 and gained endorsements from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and a majority of city council members.
[…] “Ben McAdams knows the communities of this new district better than maybe anybody. He has the unique experience of having served them at the municipal, state, and federal levels. He knows how hard Salt Lakers are working to make ends meet for their families, and he knows what it takes to make a difference for us in Washington. I trust Ben’s values and his commitment to doing what’s right for Salt Lake City, and if he’s willing to take on this responsibility again and fight for us in Washington, I’m proud to support him.” – Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall
AP News – Former Democratic congressman launches comeback bid in new Salt Lake City District
[…] “I think people know me. I am somebody who brings people together to get stuff done, but I’m also somebody who stands for what I believe in, and I’m not afraid to stand alone if that’s what’s required,” McAdams said, noting he voted to impeach Trump in 2019 despite knowing it could cost him reelection.
[…] He said he had deep personal beliefs about the sanctity of life but that decisions about terminating a pregnancy should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctors, family and faith counselors.
The former congressman said Thursday that the reality across the country has since changed dramatically, with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
“We’re seeing women denied access to health care all across the country, even leading to preventable deaths in several tragic cases,” McAdams said. “Because of that, I would vote to restore a woman’s right to choose and vote to codify Roe.”
Salt Lake Tribune – Ben McAdams makes it official — the Democrat is running again for Congress in Utah
[…] McAdams served one term in Congress, from 2018 to 2020. In 2019, despite serving in a Republican-leaning House district that had voted for Trump, he voted to impeach the then-president.
“When I voted to impeach Donald Trump, I knew when I took that vote that it would probably cost me my reelection,” he said. “But it was the right thing to do, and I don’t regret casting that vote.”
[…] The district includes areas McAdams knows well. He was twice elected as Salt Lake County mayor and before held a state Senate seat that included a chunk of Salt Lake City and surrounding areas.
McAdams said he welcomes the challenge and will be reminding voters of his accomplishments — pointing to his support for expanding Medicaid to provide health coverage to low-income Utahns, reforming homeless services and pushing for LGBTQ+ rights during his days as an advisor to former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker.
Axios – Ben McAdams launches campaign with affordability focus
[…] “I’m tired of leaders in D.C. and Trump talking about ‘affordability’ like it’s some slogan,” McAdams said in a 1-minute campaign video for Utah’s 1st District released Thursday. “We need wages that can actually buy groceries. We need homes that families can afford.”
Utah News Dispatch – Utah’s last Democrat in Congress, Ben McAdams, is running again in 2026
McAdams said he has decided to return to the political arena because he’s never been more concerned “about where we are as a country.”
“I can’t think of another time in my life where I’ve been more concerned about the direction of our country,” he said. “If I can do something about it, I’m not going to sit on the sidelines. I’m going to get in. I’m running for Congress.”
Deseret News – Ben McAdams pushes for inclusive Democratic Party as he launches comeback bid
[…] “First of all, I would say Donald Trump, I think, has taken our democracy and taken our Constitution and trampled all over it,” McAdams said. “And I don’t see a lot of leaders stepping up in Washington to do anything about it.”
McAdams particularly pointed to concerns of affordability stemming from high inflation rates, pointing to his own experience with financial insecurity as motivation to find legislative solutions. McAdams said he grew up in a household that lived paycheck to paycheck and occasionally had its power shut off in between bill payment periods.
That firsthand experience, he argued, is currently absent from those running the country.
“I know that people are struggling, and right now, it seems like Washington has forgotten
families like mine,” McAdams said. “They’ve forgotten what real life is like. They’re fighting and playing politics instead of doing basic things like making sure that kids have food and that we have health care that we can afford, and I think it’s cruel.”
Utah Political Watch – McAdams flexes early fundraising muscle
Former Congressman Ben McAdams said Friday he raised $500,000 in the first 24 hours of his comeback bid.
[…] McAdams’ single-day total is more than the entire fundraising total for every Utah Democratic congressional candidate in 2022 and 2024 combined.
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