Utah Congressional District 2 Candidates Weigh In on Issues Important to the Business Community

Ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, the Utah Chamber invited candidates officially nominated by a recognized political party for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District to share their positions on policy priorities important to the business community.

Candidates were asked to respond to the following questions:

• How would you support the principles of free enterprise and advance policies that encourage entrepreneurship, investment, competition and economic growth both in Utah and nationally?
• With much of Utah’s land and many major projects subject to federal oversight, how would you improve federal regulatory and permitting processes to provide greater certainty and timely decision-making?
• How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?
• As one of the nation’s fastest-growing states and host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, how would you help Utah meet its growing transportation and infrastructure needs?
• As Utah employers face workforce shortages in key industries, how would you strengthen the state’s talent pipeline and help Utah businesses compete in domestic and international markets?

Candidate responses are listed in alphabetical order.

Disclaimer: The Utah Chamber encourages members of the business community to actively participate in the political process. The inclusion of candidates and their responses does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the Utah Chamber. The views and opinions expressed by candidates are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Utah Chamber.

Carlton Bowen, Independent American Party

How would you support the principles of free enterprise and advance policies that encourage entrepreneurship, investment, competition and economic growth both in Utah and nationally?

Free enterprise has been one of the great engines of American prosperity. Government’s job should be to protect property rights, enforce constitutional fair rules and contracts, and then allow Americans to build, invest, compete and innovate.

A truly free market also means government should not pick winners and losers. I oppose using federal power, tax dollars or special regulatory treatment to favor politically connected businesses over their competitors. The same rules should apply to everyone.

I support reducing unnecessary federal regulation, opening opportunities for responsible mining and energy development, lowering barriers to entrepreneurship and creating a stable and predictable environment in which businesses can invest for the long term.

I believe economic policy must remain grounded in the Constitution. A project does not become a legitimate federal responsibility simply because it may create jobs or bring federal dollars to Utah. Congress should ask first whether the federal government has constitutional authority to act and then whether the policy treats Americans fairly.

Free enterprise works best when success comes from serving customers — not from winning political favors in Washington. 

With much of Utah’s land and many major projects subject to federal oversight, how would you improve federal regulatory and permitting processes to provide greater certainty and timely decision-making?

Congress has delegated too much of its lawmaking responsibility to federal agencies. Agencies may have a role in administering and enforcing the laws Congress passes, but major policy decisions should be made by elected legislators who are accountable to the people and to the States.

I support the core principle of the REINS Act: major federal regulations should not take effect without congressional approval. Congress should write clearer laws, establish reasonable permitting deadlines and reduce duplicative reviews so applicants receive a timely yes or no rather than spending years trapped in federal bureaucracy.

For mining, energy, transportation and other major projects, the rules should be understandable, predictable and applied consistently. Government should not create one set of rules for favored applicants and another for everyone else.

Regulatory reform does not mean eliminating legitimate safeguards. It means restoring accountability. Congress makes the law. The executive branch enforces the law. Courts review application of the law in specific cases. That constitutional separation protects both economic freedom and the public.

How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?

Utah should have a strong voice in the management of the land, water and natural resources within our state. At statehood, the Enabling Act expressly contemplated the future disposition and sale of federal lands as had happened historically in other states. Federal ownership does not mean Washington should ignore Utah’s legitimate jurisdiction, local knowledge or interests in the responsible management of the land within our own borders.

On wildfire, I support returning to active forest management. We should remove dead and fallen timber, maintain access, responsibly harvest usable timber and use grazing and other practical tools to keep our forests and rangelands healthy. I oppose controlled burns as a forest- management strategy, which has all too often proven disastrous, including here in Utah. We should manage our forests using the proven techniques that worked for decades, before someone gave Smokey the Bear a lit match and told him to burn down our own forests! 

I also support responsible mining, grazing, timber production, energy development and recreation on appropriate public lands. Permitting should be timely and predictable, and the rules should apply equally. Federal agencies should manage lands entrusted to them rather than allowing bureaucratic delay or a preservation-at-all-costs philosophy to prevent responsible multiple use.

Water is especially important. Utah must vigorously defend its water rights, including its Colorado River Compact allocations. I am very cautious about federal funding in the name of saving the Great Salt Lake that can become a vehicle for federal control of Utah Wasatch Front water. Federal dollars always come with strings attached. The pioneer beneficial use test is still appropriate and we should protect and restore the state legal framework designed to ensure our cities, towns, farms and ranches have the water necessary to sustain life in one of the driest states in the nation.

As one of the nation’s fastest-growing states and host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, how would you help Utah meet its growing transportation and infrastructure needs?

Utah’s growth requires roads, transportation, water and other infrastructure that can keep pace. The 2034 Games make good planning even more important, but they should not become a blank check for federal spending.

I will evaluate all federal spending by the same standard: Is it constitutional and is it fiscally responsible? Our national debt has already become unsustainable since 2024, where we spend more on just interest on the debt every year than we do for all of national defense. The debt is also imposing enormous inflation costs and interest rate costs on consumers, homebuyers and businesses. Congress cannot continue treating every worthwhile local project as a reason to borrow more money. The national debt is not a Democrat problem or a Republican problem. Both parties have failed to fix it, and neither will fix it. It’s time to move beyond two-party warfare and actually tackle this issue. I have pledged not to increase the national debt or to vote for deficit spending. The only exception is if there’s a congressionally declared war.

As Utah employers face workforce shortages in key industries, how would you strengthen the state’s talent pipeline and help Utah businesses compete in domestic and international markets?

The strongest workforce policy is an economy in which people have multiple paths to useful skills and productive work. I support apprenticeships, technical education, employer-led training and other alternatives that connect education more directly to real jobs without assuming every worker needs the same four-year path. 

I support legal immigration and oppose illegal immigration and amnesty.

For international competitiveness, American businesses need protection of property rights including intellectual property, and access to foreign markets on a level playing field. Many countries have historically tariffed U.S. businesses at a much higher rate than the U.S. tariffs those countries’ imports. That creates an uneven field and I support efforts to level the playing field. I prefer indirect tariff tax revenue to fund the federal government over direct income tax on U.S. citizens, although currently we have both. The original Constitution prohibited direct taxes.

America does not need government to choose which businesses will succeed. We need government to protect fundamental property rights and a fair marketplace in which American workers and businesses are free to compete.

Peter Crosby, Democratic Party

How would you support the principles of free enterprise and advance policies that encourage entrepreneurship, investment, competition and economic growth both in Utah and nationally?

First, by removing a significant barrier to Americans seeking to create and run their own small businesses. This means advocating for a single-payer health care system as the basis of health care access for all Americans. While it would cost less than our current system according to every meta-analysis, it would also, perhaps just as importantly, provide Americans with freedom to pursue their entrepreneurial endeavors, as they will no longer be tied to employment that restricts their ability to pursue independent commercial activities. 

Many small business owners, farmers and ranchers face significant burdens when it comes to providing health care not just for their employees, but themselves and their families. I want to support the unlimited potential of American innovation, and that requires a basic system that allows regular Americans to pursue their dreams of economic success without fear of a health care crisis that leaves them or their family financially devastated.

With much of Utah’s land and many major projects subject to federal oversight, how would you improve federal regulatory and permitting processes to provide greater certainty and timely decision-making?

I broadly support the efforts that resulted in the recently proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) insomuch as it resulted in a bipartisan attempt to improve the speed and efficiency of permitting while also balancing the need to protect critical public lands from environmental harm. I have not had the opportunity to fully review the legislation, but if it is a good compromise, I would be happy to vote for it in the House.

How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?

It starts with adequate funding and staffing for the federal agencies responsible for supporting our public lands. Until those agencies are properly staffed, any policy changes are limited in their potential to do good.

As one of the nation’s fastest-growing states and host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, how would you help Utah meet its growing transportation and infrastructure needs?

By continuing the work that was started in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into Utah’s energy, road, and internet infrastructure. I support the ongoing investment into better transportation systems that reduce overall congestion via reduced car trips, and I also support new investment into restoring and repairing our aging water infrastructure, an infrastructure that is negatively contributing to the long-term health of the Great Salt Lake. Restoring the lake has to be a core priority of any infrastructure investment, because if the lake dies, Northern Utah will not long survive its loss. 

As Utah employers face workforce shortages in key industries, how would you strengthen the state’s talent pipeline and help Utah businesses compete in domestic and international markets?

There are several pressures on Utah’s current talent pipeline and the broader competitive landscape: local affordability (or lack of it) is a deterrent to attracting and retaining the talent necessary for Utah-based businesses to grow; higher education funding has been reduced as a percent of the overall budget in the last five years compared to the early 2000s, constricting the talent pipeline at a time we need increased investment; and we have a broad tariff regime (e.g., a 50% tariff on many Canadian goods) that is making it very difficult for local business to maintain their long-term relationships in domestic and international markets.

Addressing the first issue requires both state and federal cooperation, and addressing the second is fully at the discretion of the state of Utah. Addressing the tariff regime, however, is fully within the rights and obligations of the U.S. Congress, and I would vote to end the broad tariff regime killing our local businesses and harming consumers, returning tariffs instead to a strategic tool designed to protect specific industries and modify harmful behaviors in our trade partners (e.g., child labor or IP theft).

Blake Moore, Republican Party

How would you support the principles of free enterprise and advance policies that encourage entrepreneurship, investment, competition and economic growth both in Utah and nationally?

Utah’s economy works because people are willing to take risks, start businesses, invest and create jobs. The best thing Washington can do is create certainty, remove penalties and overregulation, and give them room to succeed.

On the Ways and Means Committee, I’ve focused on keeping taxes low and making it easier for businesses to invest and grow. Our working families tax cuts passed in 2025 was landmark legislation that included many provisions that promoted economic growth. This bill prevented the largest tax increase in history, reduced paperwork burdens, supported the return of Made in America, restored 100% bonus depreciation and protected family farmers. Without our bill preserving the section 199A 20% deduction for small business owners, the top tax rate of 26 million small businesses would have doubled. Instead, this deduction is now delivering over $4,500 in average tax relief to 8 million entrepreneurs and creating jobs across the country. I championed expanding Section 179 expensing through my Small Business Growth Act so small businesses can deduct more of what they spend on equipment. For a business owner, that can mean a new piece of machinery, an expanded operation or another employee. My Section 179 proposal was incorporated into the House tax package with a $2.5 million expensing cap.

We will keep working on the regulatory side. Businesses can plan around clear rules. What’s harder is uncertainty, duplication and regulations that have outlived their purpose. And we can’t talk seriously about long-term economic growth without addressing our national debt. Washington has to be more responsible with taxpayer dollars. Utah has shown that entrepreneurship, responsible government and a strong private sector work. I want to build on that and make it easier for American businesses to invest, compete and grow.

With much of Utah’s land and many major projects subject to federal oversight, how would you improve federal regulatory and permitting processes to provide greater certainty and timely decision-making?

Permitting reform matters especially in Utah because federal decisions have such a direct impact on our land, infrastructure and economy. When the permitting process doesn’t work, Utah communities and businesses feel it quickly.

People who want to build and welcome growth to Utah need more certainty from the federal government. If someone is investing in a major project, they should know the rules, which agencies are involved and when they can reasonably expect an answer. They shouldn’t spend years going through duplicative reviews with no clear end in sight.

That’s one reason I introduced the Protecting Domestic Mining Act, which passed the House in September. It expands access to the FAST-41 process for mining and mineral processing projects, improving coordination among federal agencies and giving projects a more predictable review process. I have drafted additional legislation to bolster critical mineral supply chains and create a fast track process for state priorities.

Utah needs energy, transportation, manufacturing and other infrastructure to keep pace with our growth. We need clearer timelines, better coordination and decisions based on sound science and the facts on the ground, which are also priorities the Utah Chamber has identified.

We can protect Utah’s natural resources and still build things in this country. A good permitting system should allow us to do both.

How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?

Updating our water infrastructure is paramount to ensuring Utah has the water to support our growing population. Many of the water projects in Utah are supported by federal programs and funding. I work to streamline these programs to increase access for our communities and water districts. Since entering office, I secured tens of millions of dollars for local water infrastructure projects in Northern Utah. In the Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations, I secured $4.5 million for the Great Salt Lake Stansbury Bay Improvement project, which will revert existing hydrology to the Great Salt Lake by modifying dikes and impoundment systems that are currently preventing natural runoff and precipitation from entering the lake.

Protecting the Great Salt Lake is vital to Utah’s economy, environment, wildlife and future. My Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act to protect and monitor the Great Salt Lake was signed into law. A top priority for me right now is funding to restore and protect the Great Salt Lake and delivering on President Trump’s $1 billion commitment. The recent Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge settlement is a great step in securing federal dollars and will direct $60 million to the lake. We are going to keep pounding the pavement to address our critical water needs.

My view has always been that Utahns need a strong voice in decisions about Utah’s lands and resources. Federal agencies have a role, but we get better results when the people who actually live and work on the land are part of the process. I’ve taken that approach in Congress. My MAPLand, MAPWater and MAPRoads Acts are modernizing federal records so land managers and the public have better information about access to public lands. I’ve leaned in on wildfire mitigation, including securing funding for fire trucks in communities like Washington Terrace, drafting the Forest TECH Act and pushing for passage of the Fix Our Forests Act. These would improve forest and rangeland management and create more coordination before fires start. The federal government should be a good partner while giving Utah leaders room to develop solutions that work for our state.

As one of the nation’s fastest-growing states and host of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, how would you help Utah meet its growing transportation and infrastructure needs?

Utah is growing fast, and the federal delegation is working to support preparation for the 2034 Olympics. We are spending the next several years to prepare for a successful Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games while making investments that serve Utah families and businesses long after the Games are over. I’ve worked with the Department of Transportation to ensure that Utah can double track the FrontRunner; I successfully removed the UBIT (unrelated business income tax) provision regarding expanding taxation for nonprofits on logos and licensing activity from the tax bill draft to ensure the Olympics could continue its critical licensing efforts; and the whole delegation is supporting funding for infrastructure.

Federal transportation policy should recognize where population growth is headed, not just where it has already happened. Utah also needs flexibility to move projects forward without unnecessary requirements slowing down every step. That includes important projects around the FrontRunner, roads, transit, water infrastructure and faster project delivery. We are trying to provide greater flexibility for states in the surface transportation bill.

I’ve worked to bring resources home for specific needs. This year, I secured committee approval for more than $30 million in projects across Northern Utah, including a pedestrian connection to the Layton FrontRunner station, along with water, wastewater, public safety and military infrastructure projects. For me, the Olympics aren’t the finish line. The investments we make today must make Utah a better place to live and do business 10 or 20 years after 2034.  

As Utah employers face workforce shortages in key industries, how would you strengthen the state’s talent pipeline and help Utah businesses compete in domestic and international markets?

Utah has great employers and a talented workforce, but we need to keep building the pipeline for the jobs our economy is creating. As universities across the U.S. become prohibitively expensive for many families, Congress is recognizing that a four-year degree isn’t the best measure of someone’s ability. Skills, certifications, apprenticeships and work experience all matter, and we’ve acted to expand use of Pell Grants and 529s for workforce training. Congressman Burgess Owens and I introduced the MATCH Act to help states connect workers with jobs and training based on verified skills and credentials, not just what appears on a traditional resume. I’ve spent extensive political capital supporting the Job Corps program in Utah and ensuring it has continued funding after DOGE attempted to cut it.

We all know we need to connect workforce training more closely with industries where Utah can lead, including advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, aerospace and defense. I recently helped secure $625,000 for the University of Utah’s semiconductor research and education initiative to help train engineers and strengthen the domestic semiconductor workforce.

My efforts on the Ways and Means Committee have been laser focused on helping Utah businesses compete. We included provisions in H.R. 1, which passed last summer, to free up small business capital to hire more employees. Our 199A 20% small business deduction will allow Main Street to create over 1 million more jobs. Our legislation cut taxes on over 12 million small business owners by around $7,000, and it restored R&D deductions and bonus depreciation. H.R. 1 is giving Utah companies opportunities to compete beyond our borders. I continue to assist Utah businesses as they work with the administration on trade policy. We are working to give businesses more certainty, expand their access to markets and make critical supply chains more resilient.