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SALT LAKE CITY — Democrat Doug Owens says the difference between his newly announced rematch with Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, and their hard-fought race in 2014 is that this time he plans to be the winner.
"It was close, and we put up a good fight on a shoestring budget," Owens said Thursday. "Now the question will be: Who will be the better candidate? I learned last time what it takes to win, and we intend to do it."
After losing the 4th District seat in Congress by a little more than 4,000 votes despite being outspent nearly 6-1, Owens said getting an earlier start for the 2016 election means he'll be able to close that gap.
Owens announced on social media Tuesday that he was running again for the seat previously held by retired Rep. Jim Matheson, the last Democratic member of the state's congressional delegation.
"We need to have balance," Owens said. "Utah doesn't need another Republican or even just another Democrat. It needs somebody who's going to be a strong and independent voice to get things done in D.C."
But the son of late Utah Congressman Wayne Owens declined to discuss the job Love has been doing since taking office in January.
"I am not really here to talk about my opponent or to critique her performance. I'm running because of what I believe in," Owens said. "I think my message is going to be very powerful."
That message calls for Congress to tackle a long list of issues, including coming up with a fix for President Barack Obama's health care law "instead of playing games" with a repeal.
It's going to be difficult for Owens to claim victory unless he makes the case for replacing the incumbent, said Chris Karpowitz, co-director of BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy.
"He has to make a case for change," Karpowitz said. "That means he needs to articulate a clear vision of not only why he should be elected, but why people should turn Mia Love out of office."
Love "has not had any particularly dramatic or notable" successes or failures so far, the political science professor said, "but just by virtue of being an incumbent, she's going to benefit."
Owens was also reluctant to comment on Love's campaign adviser, Dave Hansen, promising to run a more aggressive race this go-round.
"I guess, let them have at us," Owens said. "But I'm not really here to talk about her or her manager's comments."
Hansen said it was Owens who ran a negative campaign in 2014.
"It's not what we plan to do. It's more what we're prepared to do. We'll just have to wait and see how the campaign develops," Hansen said. "What the voters want is a discussion of the issues and the performance of the incumbent."
