Ben McAdams

Candidate for Utah’s 1st Congressional District, former Utah Congressman, Mayor of Salt Lake County, and Utah State Senator, father of four great kids

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

We are 28 days away from an incredibly consequential election, and whoever wins will have big decisions to make. Will we step up and save the Great Salt Lake? Are we going to protect our public lands? Are we going to make life more affordable for Utahns? I hope you'll vote by November 3rd and choose a representative you know will have your back.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Most political fights are reversible. A bad law gets repealed. A bad budget gets rewritten next session. Utah's public lands aren't that kind of fight — once we carve up our land for mining, drilling, and logging, no next election undoes it. Those are the stakes of this election, and that's why this issue can't be treated like a normal policy debate. I don't want to think about what happens if we get this wrong. Let's make sure we don't.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Thank you to the Westside Coalition for having me at their candidate forum last night!

Every door I knock on, I hear the same thing: people are worried about filling the tank today, groceries this week, and rent at the end of the month. If you work hard, you should be able to afford a decent life here. Right now, too many families can't.

I told the crowd where I'd start. End the war in Iran, which is driving up what we pay for gas and food. And keep pushing on the housing work I've been doing for years so families can afford the homes they're living in.

I hope to fight for this community in Congress again.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

This election isn’t really about Republicans versus Democrats. It’s about the people almost two thousand miles away in Washington making Utahns’ lives that much harder—and about the people who are enabling them.

I won’t sit on the sidelines and watch powerful people rob our neighbors of their health care and food assistance. I’m going to put Utah and its people first.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Thank you to the Utah Debate Commission, Natalie Gochnour, and everyone who tuned in to watch the debate last night. 34 days, let's go win this thing!

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

@crazyus @kremlincardinal With good friends! We're on a quest to find the best tacos in Utah. #TacoClub

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Yesterday I sat down with Charlie Luke from The Wilderness Society, Dani Poirier from the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, and Jack Statuss from Save Our Canyons, along with their team, to talk about what it'll take to finally protect the Central Wasatch in Congress.

These canyons supply much of the drinking water for the Salt Lake Valley. They're where we ski, climb, hike, and take our kids on weekends. When I was Salt Lake County Mayor, I brought local governments, conservation groups, ski resorts, and recreation folks to the same table. That became Mountain Accord, and it gave us a plan everyone signed on to. What's still missing is Congress writing it into law.

I'll sponsor the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act and America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, and I'll work to get both passed. Thanks to Charlie, Dani, and Jack for the work they do every day to keep these places wild.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Saturday mornings are busy. There's soccer, yard work, and maybe the chance to finally sleep in. This crew spends theirs knocking doors and making calls across Salt Lake County, so their neighbors know when, where, and how to vote.

Washington feels chaotic right now. You keep showing up anyway, because you believe this still works when people take part. I'm with you, and I'm grateful for every one of you.

Five weekends left until Election Day. Come knock doors with us: https://t.co/W9Ywz6INQ0

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

We had a great day at Marmalade Jam Fest, and I was excited to run into SLC school board member Ashley Anderson, who's up for re-election this November!

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Esta mañana pasé unas horas en West Valley con unos voluntarios increíbles. Hablé con familias que pagan 80 dólares para llenar el tanque de gasolina de su carro, mientras que el alquiler y los alimentos siguen subiendo y los responsables actúan como si no fuera su problema.

También escuché a vecinos que tienen miedo. Personas que trabajan, pagan impuestos y respetan la ley están viviendo con miedo porque ICE está en nuestra comunidad, y no están persiguiendo a delincuentes. Están persiguiendo a padres que intentan criar a sus hijos.

Las familias de Utah merecen representantes que trabajen para reducir los costos y aprobar una reforma migratoria que mantenga unidas a las familias.

El 3 de noviembre, vote por personas que luchen por su familia con la misma determinación que usted.
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This morning, I spent a few hours in West Valley with some incredible volunteers. I talked with families paying $80 to fill the car's gas tank, while rent and groceries keep climbing and the people in charge act like it's not their problem.

I also heard from neighbors who are scared. People who work, pay taxes, and follow the law are living in fear because ICE is in our community, and it isn't going after criminals. It's going after parents trying to raise their kids.

Utah families deserve representatives who'll work to bring costs down and pass immigration reform that keeps families together.

On November 3, vote for people who'll fight for your family as hard as you do.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Days like these make the campaign trail feel like a reunion. Saturday, I spent the day knocking on doors with Liz Oates in Magna, Sen. Karen Kwan and Rep. Jake Fitisemanu in West Valley City, and Rosemary Lesser, CJ Hernandez, and Peter Crosby in Ogden.

We need good people in office everywhere, and Saturday was proof that people here are ready to go get it.

Thank you to everyone who showed up and knocked doors with us. Join us this weekend — sign up at the link in my bio.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Clean energy is a win-win for our climate and Americans’ wallets. This is a lose-lose.

It’s not fair to you that the fossil fuel industry now gets a blank check to pollute your community and our planet while they reap record profits from the Iran War.

I’ve fought hard to modernize our electric grid and bring clean energy to Utah because my constituents knew it was what was best for their short-term health and long-term prosperity. I plan to continue my fight for clean energy if Utahns send me back to Congress this November.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

I'm spending this Saturday, Sept. 19th, out with Liz Oates, Sen. Karen Kwan, Rep. Jake Fitisemanu, Rosemary Lesser, CJ Hernandez, and Peter Crosby — because winning UT-01 isn't enough. We have to keep building the bench underneath it, in every corner of this state.

Pick your shift! RSVP and get more information at https://t.co/8zJxp2uBcg

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Twenty-five years ago Julie and I were in law school in New York. I had a callback interview that Tuesday, September 11, across the street from the towers and was on my way downtown. I stopped at school first to turn in a paper, and a group of us ended up standing around a television watching smoke come out of the north tower. We were still standing there when the second plane hit.

In the weeks after, something special happened. People on the street started nodding at each other. That’s not a thing New Yorkers did. Strangers held eye contact, gave up seats, waited in line for hours to give blood. For a while, everybody in that city treated everybody else like a neighbor.

In 2016, I took my boys to the memorial. They were young enough that it was history to them and old enough to feel the solemnity of the place. What I wanted them to understand is that every name on that wall belonged to somebody who had a Tuesday morning planned, and we are still capable of caring for each other as neighbors. I would like to help us find our way back to it.

Today, we remember.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Every Labor Day, I try to make it to the picnic in Magna—nearly every trade, all in one park with their kids, good food, and even a bounce house. It's easy to forget who built the middle class in this country. It was people in unions who fought for the 40-hour week, for safe jobs, for wages you could actually raise a family on.

Right now that's under pressure again. Housing, healthcare, groceries, all going up, and full-time work doesn't stretch the way it used to. Talking to folks like Tom Davidson reminded me why this fight matters as much now as it ever did.

Unions built the middle class once. We need them to do it again.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Happy Labor Day, Utah! Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of the American labor movement in our society. Without organized labor, we wouldn't have weekends, workers' compensation, or overtime pay.

I'm proud to stand with Utah workers and unions as we all continue to fight for a fairer America.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Supporting good candidates in down-ballot races matters to me as much as anything happening at the top of the ticket – this year and every year. There's one candidate in particular I want to start by highlighting.

Jake Fitisemanu was a West Valley City Councilman, then flipped House District 30 from red to blue in 2024 because voters trusted him to keep showing up for them. I've worked alongside Jake for years. He is incredibly thoughtful and curious, listens before he legislates, and truly looks out for his neighbors. That's the kind of leader this state needs more of.

I've been knocking doors with Jake because none of this is possible without people willing to do the work. You don't have to live in District 30 to help. Anyone and everyone can make a difference. Go to https://t.co/HdMkrmrusg to learn more and get involved.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

I’m proud to have the support of the Human Rights Campaign—America’s foremost organization in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.

As LGBTQ+ Americans face attacks at home and in Washington, our country needs leaders who are committed to standing up for inclusion and equality, even when it’s hard. I fought for nondiscrimination protections and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Utah’s LGBTQ+ community during my time in the State Legislature, and I’ll continue to do so in Congress.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

Rain came down, the trail turned to mud, but big smiles at the finish line anyway. This is what Utah's public lands are for. Get outside, get dirty, have a good time with your family. That's a good weekend.

[Ben McAdams @BenMcAdams]

I had a great visit with a few Boy Scout troops talking about public service — what the job really looks like and why civic engagement starts long before you're old enough to vote. These Scouts had sharp questions and will be voting before we know it. Utah's future is in good hands.