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- Utah Sen. Nate Blouin, a Democrat, has entered the 1st District U.S. House race, emphasizing his progressive values.
- He joins three other Democrats who have announced plans to vie for the seat representing Salt Lake County.
- He said he'd work to counter the moves of the rest of Utah's all-Republican delegation in Washington.
MILLCREEK — State Sen. Nate Blouin has joined the crowded race for the 1st District U.S. House seat, arguing in part that his progressive politics better align with voters in the district than the other Democratic hopefuls.
Other candidates who voters have favored in past elections within the boundaries of the newly drawn district more closely resemble him than the other Democratic contenders in the race, Blouin said, giving him an edge. He touts universal health care, conservation of public lands and helping make housing more affordable.
"I've got a track record of going against the grain here in Utah. I'm probably the most progressive member of the Legislature at this point, and certainly want to carry that to D.C.," Blouin, D-Millcreek, said Monday. "That's who I am. I'm not afraid to run on my values."
Indeed, he sounded an almost-defiant message, saying he'd be working to counter the moves of the rest of Utah's all-Republican delegation to Washington if elected. Blouin, elected to the Utah Senate in 2022 and finishing his first term in the post, had previously indicated interest in running for the U.S. House seat, formally saying he would do so on Sunday.
"I'm excited to go to D.C., and actually work against the rest of the delegation," said Blouin, who fill forego a reelection bid to his District 13 Utah Senate seat to run for the U.S. House. He wouldn't fit in with the state's GOP delegation "because they are trying to sell off our public lands. They're raising the cost of health care. They are taking money from public schools to send to private schools, and I'm opposed to all of those things. We need a firewall between the constituents here in Utah and the damage that the delegation is doing."
A judge approved a map earlier this month that redraws the boundaries of Utah's four U.S. House seats, which had all leaned heavily Republican. The new boundaries of the 1st District sit within Salt Lake County, making it more Democratic-leaning, which has prompted heavy interest among Democrats. Former U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams, state Sen. Kathleen Riebe and former state Sen. Derek Kitchen, all Democrats, have also announced plans to seek the seat.
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, currently holds the 1st District seat. He first won the post in 2020 elections and filed paperwork last year indicating he planned to seek reelection to the post, before the boundaries were redrawn.
Blouin touts Medicare for all; that is, creation of a national health insurance program. "We need to invest in health care that actually reaches everyone. We need to invest in universal health care, make sure that people aren't paying an arm and a leg for medicine," he said.
He also lamented the high price of housing and criticized the tariffs enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump.
"We want to see people being able to buy into the American dream, and people are priced out of the ownership market right now because we're not doing enough to bring construction costs down. Frankly, the tariffs have hurt the price of homes, as well as many other things," he said. "People are struggling to pay for food again because of the tariffs."
More generally, Blouin said he'd stand up to Trump, noting the charged rhetoric the president has used against his political foes.
"We're seeing Trump make disgusting comments about political enemies of his and not being afraid to call for violence, and I just don't think that has any place," he said. "So I think there's a way to stand up and fight back against that, and I've got the track record more so than anyone else in the race of having done that over the last few years that I've been serving in the Senate."
