Bernie Sanders makes endorsement in Utah's new first district race

SALT LAKE CITY — A major progressive voice has made an endorsement in the crowded Democratic race for Utah's newly redrawn first congressional district.

Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont, is backing Nate Blouin, a first-term state senator from Millcreek, his campaign announced Friday.

"We need fighters in Congress who will take on powerful special interests and pass Medicare for All, lower prescription drug costs, build affordable housing and raise the minimum wage to a living wage. We need members of Congress who have the guts to demand that the billionaire class start paying their fair share of taxes," Sanders said. "State Senator Nate Blouin is that fighter. He stands with working Americans, not the corporate interests and oligarchs who have far too much power."

Blouin, 36, who just announced his candidacy and is set to hold a campaign kickoff news conference on Monday, said he was "honored" to receive the endorsement from the 84-year-old senator and former presidential candidate who has become a prominent voice of resistance to President Donald Trump's administration.

"He continues to be a national voice for working people in the face of an oligarch class that has steered our government way off course," Blouin said.

Blouin is the latest Democrat to enter the race for the first district under a new congressional map adopted by 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson. She threw out the existing map after a lawsuit from voters who said it unfairly favored Republicans. Under the new map, the first district is concentrated entirely in Salt Lake County, which is more favorable to Democrats.

Besides Blouin, other prominent Democrats who have jumped into the race so far include former congressman Ben McAdams, current state Sen. Kathleen Riebe, and former state Sen. Derek Kitchen.

'Interesting' endorsement

Steven Sylvester, political science professor at Utah Valley University, called the Sanders endorsement "interesting."

"I am not sure it will make a difference in the result," Sylvester told KSL, "but it might make it more competitive."

McAdams, who represented Utah in Congress for one term from 2019 to 2021, brought several high-profile endorsements of his own into the race, including from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Equality Utah executive director Troy Williams and former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. His campaign said he raised more than $500,000 within 24 hours of announcing his candidacy earlier this month, mostly from "grassroots" donors.

"It's a strong signal that they want a Utahn in Congress who will take action on the high costs of housing, health care and basic necessities," McAdams said.

But Sylvester, the political science professor, said that while McAdams has been considered a moderate politician, the newly redrawn first district is more progressive.

"I still think McAdams is the favorite," said Sylvester, "but he will have to run a different type of race than he has in the past."

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox pointed that out earlier week during his monthly news conference, saying McAdams and other candidates are running further to the left in the blue district.

"I mean, Ben McAdams, in the matter of a week, is running a completely different campaign than he's ever run before," Cox said Tuesday. "I got whiplash watching him jolt from kind of a moderate to 'Mamdani-land.' It's been fascinating to watch."

Cox was referring to New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who has called himself a democratic socialist.

Meanwhile, Kitchen and Riebe are also vying for the seat. Kitchen served one term in the Utah Senate, from 2018 to 2022, before losing his reelection bid and going on to work for the Biden administration. He gained attention for successfully suing the state of Utah in 2013 over a ban on same-sex marriage, which was overturned.

"For the first time in a generation, Utah has a strong, solidly Democratic district — and the chance to elect a progressive leader who reflects the values of the people who live here," said Kitchen. "We need a leader who has what it takes to fight back against Donald Trump and the MAGA Republican agenda."

Riebe, who serves as minority caucus manager in the Utah Senate, announced her candidacy more than two weeks ago. A Democrat from Cottonwood Heights, Riebe previously ran for Congress against Rep. Celeste Maloy. She works as an educator and has served in the Legislature since 2019.

"It's become evident that in order to change what we get out of Washington, we have to change the kind of representatives we send there," Riebe said. "In Congress, I'll never back down from the fight to lower costs and increase healthcare affordability – and I won't take a dime of corporate PAC money, so I'm only accountable to the people who sent me."

West Valley City native Luis Villareal and Salt Lake City resident Kye Hinckley have also announced plans to run.

"Utah needs a representative who will stand up to the establishment, challenge broken systems, and fight for real change," Villareal said on his campaign website. "If you're ready for bold, independent, progressive leadership, I'm ready to earn your support."

Hinckley did not have a campaign website set up as of late Friday.

Republicans fight new map

Meanwhile, while Democrats are buzzing around the new first district, Republican legislative leaders said they will appeal the congressional map to the Utah Supreme Court. Lawmakers drew a map of their own that they submitted to Judge Gibson, but she called it an "extreme partisan outlier" and instead chose a map from plaintiffs who sued.

"This is not a turf war," Schultz said earlier this week while criticizing the judge and discussing lawmakers' plans to appeal. "It's about the trust Utahns have placed in us to carry out the most fundamental constitutional duties. We intend to honor that trust."

Tim Chambless, University of Utah political science professor, said any Democrat can win in the new first district. He said Sanders's endorsement of Blouin may help the state senator distinguish himself from his rivals.

"Sanders has been well received when he has spoke in Salt Lake County," Chambless said, "most recently April 13 at the University of Utah."

Sanders spoke with New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez at that event, part of the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour. Approximately 20,000 people attended.

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