Running in the dark: Utah candidates uncertain where to campaign

WASHINGTON — It's less than a month until candidates running for Congress in Utah must make their bids official and file for a congressional district. The only problem: boundary lines may not be finalized as the political parties await a decision from the Utah Supreme Court.

Since implementing a new congressional map last year that would put at least one of the current Republican-held districts in contention, Utah has attracted national attention as a solidly red state that could hand Democrats a major victory — perhaps even the House majority — in November. The map has undergone several legal challenges and is still under litigation as the state's highest court and a federal court weigh decisions.

This puts Utah incumbents and the Democratic challengers looking to flip a seat for the first time since 2018 in a unique position. The candidates must sell themselves to voters without really knowing where the district lines will be drawn.

"These maps aren't only slightly different, they're drastically different," Rep. Celeste Maloy, who is running for reelection in Utah but has not yet declared a district, told the Deseret News in an interview. "So when you're deciding where to spend your campaign dollars and how to spend your campaigning time, it's almost impossible to make those calls right now."

That's just one of the challenges defining the 2026 midterms in Utah, making it an election cycle like no other.

In conversations with members of the current delegation and a majority of the Democratic primary candidates for Utah's proposed 1st District, here's what they said about how they're approaching their November races.

Incumbents unsure where they are running

Since the former map drawn by the Utah Legislature was thrown out by 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson last August and she chose entirely different congressional districts, the four incumbent Republicans have been thrust into new boundaries that could force a reshuffle of sorts if the map stands.

The delegation has been mum on where they plan to run for reelection, saying repeatedly over the last few months they would not make any announcements until a decision is final.

But the four Republicans are in constant communication with each other behind the scenes to strategize a game plan for how they'll run when the arena is set.

"The reality that we're dealing with in the federal delegation is that these maps are very drastically different, and you have to run very drastically different races for the different maps," Maloy said. "And we're on what, the third map that we've seen in six months? So we're all just learning to roll with the punches and keep adjusting our sails."

Maloy acknowledged the uncertainty has caused frustration for herself and her campaign team as they don't know where to focus their resources. That makes it difficult for hosting campaign events and knowing which constituents to target in their outreach efforts.

"It's been frustrating for me, for my campaign team, for everybody, because we should be out doing a lot of campaign events right now," Maloy said. "I've been fundraising, making sure as soon as we're ready to go, we have all the resources we need, and we can hit the ground running."

In the meantime, Maloy has focused her messaging on what the Republican majorities in Congress have accomplished over the last year as well as educating voters on the current political landscape of the redistricting process.

Other incumbents echoed similar strategies. Rep. Mike Kennedy, who represents the current 3rd Congressional District, told the Deseret News that although the boundaries are still under debate, the "focus does not change."

"No matter what the final map looks like, we will continue advancing common sense solutions that make life more affordable, secure the border, and strengthen our country," Kennedy said. "Campaigns are about showing up, listening, and putting forward a clear message. As a doctor and a legislator, I learned that listening comes first and that we can solve even our biggest challenges when we work together. I am focused on making life easier for Utah families and delivering results that will have a positive impact for generations to come."

Democratic opponents don't know which incumbent they are challenging

Democrats, on the other hand, have the opposite problem. The Democratic hopefuls running for the redrawn 1st District are relying on a judicial decision that keeps those lines intact to boost their chances of a victory.

The district, if upheld, would heavily favor the Democratic candidate and is considered "solid Democratic," according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The seat would be entirely within Salt Lake County and one that Kamala Harris would have won by 24 points in the 2024 election.

But while underdog candidates looking to flip a seat usually focus their efforts on defeating the sitting incumbent, that has not been the case for these Democrats who so far don't know which lawmaker they would face in November.

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, currently represents the state's first district, but those lines have changed drastically with the new map — meaning the incumbent Republican could opt for another boundary that encompasses more of his current district. As a result, Democrats are not yet sure who they're vying to unseat.

"It's certainly confusing for the voters who just don't know exactly what the districts will look like and whether they're going to be in the district. And then, you know, there's the question about who I'm going to be running against," former Rep. Ben McAdams, who is running for the new 1st District, said. "People want to know who the incumbent is and if it's somebody that they may like and so, we don't have that answer."

While that's raised all sorts of unique challenges, many of the Democrats say it's easy to overcome. After all, they argue, the four incumbents rarely break from one another or the Republican Party at large when it comes to voting on legislation.

For the most part, Utah's delegation typically sticks together and votes along party lines. Democrats say that gives them an advantage when it comes to battling a shadow incumbent.

Read the full story at Deseret News.

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