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SALT LAKE CITY — At least two Republicans are poised to challenge Utah's only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Ben McAdams, who represents the 4th District that includes portions of Salt Lake and Utah counties.
"We have been exploring a run and hope to announce something soon," Rep. Kim Coleman, R-West Jordan, told KSL Thursday. She posted a video to her Facebook page late Wednesday titled, "FAQ: Is Coleman running for Congress?"
Meanwhile, a former Davis County GOP official, Kathleen Anderson, has engaged the same Virginia-based consulting firm that worked on campaigns for 3rd Congressional District Rep. John Curtis and Sen. Mitt Romney, both R-Utah.
Last week, state Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, sent out a news release ending speculation he would get in the race, saying that while he won't run, "voters would do well to choose a strong conservative voice" in the 2020 election.
In 2018, McAdams, then the Salt Lake County mayor, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mia Love by less than 700 votes. Love, now a CNN commentator, told KSL in May she hadn't ruled out a rematch.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has made reclaiming Utah's 4th District a top priority for the GOP in 2020 and has been "heavily recruiting" candidates for months.
Coleman said in her video, she's "finding it’s a very Republican district. There’s a whole lot of interest in my potential run, a lot of excitement there. But definitely a strong interest in returning that seat back to a Republican representative."
The third term state representative suggested viewers watch this week's Democratic presidential debates and "think about whether that is the team you want your congressperson to suit up in their jersey and join that team with that agenda."
Anderson adviser Danny Laub said in a statement the Democratic Party "embodies everything wrong with Washington. Utah can and must do better. To win this election, we need a conservative outsider, not another career politician looking to advance their political career. Kathleen Anderson is that person."
Anderson has served as Davis County GOP secretary and president of the Utah Federation of Republican Women. Her husband, Rob Anderson, was chairman of the Utah Republican Party.
Other Republicans are also looking at the 4th District race.
"I'm thinking about it," state Senate Majority Whip Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, said.
Hemmert is among the candidates who have talked with the National Republican Congressional Committee. Some, apparently including Coleman and Anderson, have had meetings in Washington, D.C. about a run.
McAdams' campaign manager, Andrew Roberts, did not refer to any challengers in a statement about the race, although a fundraising email Thursday from the campaign warned "the stakes have just been raised" in the race.
"Ben isn't focused on campaign politics," Roberts said.
"He's focused immediately on the need to pass bipartisan legislation to alleviate the suffering of migrant children at our border, as well as working in Congress to lower prescription drug prices, balance budgets and reduce our national debt."
