Utah’s McAdams edges out progressives in new 1st District primary

Former Utah Rep. Ben McAdams won the Democratic primary in the state’s newly redrawn 1st District, defeating progressive challengers and signaling a likely return to Congress in a rare deep-blue seat in a red state after a decade-long redistricting saga. McAdams, a centrist Blue Dog Democrat who had held a previous GOP-leaning seat and campaigned as a budget-balanced moderate, outraised his opponents and will enter November as the heavy favorite in a district that Kamala Harris won by about 24 points in 2024.