Ben McAdams caps off political comeback, declares victory in Utah's 1st District

SALT LAKE CITY — Democrat Ben McAdams declared victory Tuesday night in his election for Utah's 1st Congressional District, marking his return to Congress after six years.

McAdams leads Republican Riley Owen with at least 71% of the vote, according to initial totals released Tuesday evening. Owen has secured around 25% while two other candidates — Libertarian Jesse West and unaffiliated candidate Elias Henry Montgomery — fell in the single digits.

McAdams told KSL Owen conceded the race Tuesday evening. The Associated Press called the race for McAdams at 10:26 p.m.

Speaking to a packed room of supporters, McAdams recounted the legal fight that led to the adoption last year of a new congressional map that created a Democratic-leaning district in Salt Lake County.

"In the district that you fought to create, the people of Salt Lake County picked their own representative," McAdams said to loud applause.

In his victory speech, McAdams also addressed the cost of living and affordability, which emerged as a prominent concern for voters in Utah and across the country. The former congressman also praised his Republican opponent and the race he ran.

"To everyone in this district who did not vote for me," McAdams said, "I will work for you, too."

Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King introduced McAdams to the crowd of supporters and touted the gains Democrats were making in races across the country. NBC News projected Democrats will retake both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

"It's not a blue wave, folks," King said. "It's a blue tsunami."

The race for Utah's 1st Congressional District kicked off in earnest late last year when a judge adopted a new congressional map which favored Democrats in the Salt Lake City-centered district. McAdams emerged early as the likely pick, and fended off several progressive challengers in the primary race over the summer.

Owen, one of the youngest candidates in the country, worked for the White House during President Donald Trump's first administration, but he pitched himself as a political outsider with "fresh ideas." His focus on affordability concerns wasn't enough, however, as he was defeated in his first campaign for public office.

McAdams first rode a blue wave to Congress in 2018, and his return comes as Trump and Republicans could face a reckoning from voters over affordability issues driven by the Iran war and tariffs.

Click here for more U.S. and Utah election results.

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