Utah News Dispatch
Salt Lake City Council member joins race for newly-drawn congressional district
Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez (Courtesy of Salt Lake City Council)
Another Democrat joined a growing list of candidates vying for a newly drawn congressional district under Utah’s court-ordered map.
First-term Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez announced her candidacy Monday after weeks of speculation of a potential run.
Lopez Chavez, the first Mexican-American to be elected to the City Council, said in a campaign announcement that as a daughter of a working-class immigrant family, she’s hoping to fight for people with similar backgrounds.
“Now, as we face crisis after crisis, we must say to each other, ‘Enough is enough,’” she said in an ad posted on social media. “That’s why I’m running for Congress. To stop this cycle and defend our communities.”
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Her platform isn’t just focused on solving the affordability crisis, Lopez Chavez said, but also the defense of families, the environment and the new district’s future.
“It’s time for the next generation of leadership, and I’m ready to step up,” she said, “ready to make sure that every Utahn has access to homeownership opportunities, reproductive rights and to steward our greatest resources, the Wasatch mountains and our Great Salt Lake.”
If a ruling on an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit holds and the map submitted to the courts by plaintiffs is used in the 2026 elections, Democrats will have a strong chance of winning a seat, prompting several candidacy announcements. Republicans are expected to contest that ruling to the Utah Supreme Court.
Currently, Lopez Chavez is running against other prominent Salt Lake County Democrats, including Utah’s last Democrat in Congress, Ben McAdams, Sen. Kathleen Riebe of Cottonwood Heights, Sen. Nate Blouin of Millcreek, and former state Sen. Derek Kitchen.
Lopez Chavez, who was elected to the City Council in 2024, is also a consultant to businesses and other organizations. She’s also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, according to her biography, and has been involved in different community engagement efforts “with a focus on social justice for marginalized communities.”
