A self-described progressive Democrat enters packed primary for Utah’s 1st Congressional District

Another Democrat has joined the race for the state’s new 1st Congressional District — months after a Utah judge ordered a new map be put in place to better align Utah’s congressional boundaries with an anti-gerrymandering law voters enacted in 2018 — and the primary field is getting crowded.

Michael Farrell, a Salt Lake City tax attorney, announced his candidacy Friday with a pledge “to work for Utah families and bring a new generation of leadership to fight Trump, Republicans, and special interests in Washington,” according to his campaign website. 

Farrell is the latest Democrat to throw his name in the race for consideration after a yearslong redistricting battle that created a new, heavily Democratic district in Salt Lake City. Earlier this week, one of Utah’s four U.S. House Republicans, Rep. Burgess Owens, announced he will not seek reelection, bowing out in the face of new congressional boundaries.  

Farrell will square off against notable Democrats including Ben McAdams (a former congressional Representative for Utah), Kathleen Riebe and Nate Blouin (both Democratic state senators) and Eva Lopez Chavez (a Salt Lake City Council member).

While speaking to supporters at the Utah Capitol Friday, Farrell described the race as “one of the most exciting Democratic opportunities in the country,” saying “what happens here could help determine who controls the House of Representatives and shut down the Trump administration.”

“This primary is crowded and competitive, we’re running against former elected officials who’ve been around Utah politics for decades,” he said. “They have the connections, the endorsements and the donor list. What they don’t have is my experience or values.”

Farrell’s campaign priorities

Farrell told Utah News Dispatch he “won’t take any” money from political action committees or corporate donations, saying he thinks big money in politics has harmed the system.

“Too many Americans are working harder than ever and falling further behind while politicians argue, stall, or serve special interests,” he said in a press statement released Friday. “Utahns deserve a representative who will fight for working people and build an economy that works for everyone.”

According to his website, Farrell’s campaign priorities include lowering costs for housing and health care in Utah, as well as increasing wages by raising the federal minimum wage to at least $20 per hour and expanding union power. 

Farrell says he would vote to impeach President Donald Trump, and is also pushing for a full release of the unredacted files pertaining to Jeffery Epstein. His priorities include hot-button national issues, as he wants to halt all U.S. military funding to Israel, abolish Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and ban congressional stock trading. 

A tax attorney who lives in Salt Lake City, Farrell is a self-described progressive Democrat. He is originally from Sacramento Valley in Southern California, and has a degree in economics from UCLA and a law degree from the University of Michigan’s Law School. 

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