Utah Congressional District 1 Candidates Weigh In on Issues Important to the Business Community
October 9, 2026
Utah Congressional District 1 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 1st 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.
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?
In Congress, I would expand access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs, reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers and encourage investment and innovation. That includes ensuring entrepreneurs — particularly in rural and underserved communities — have access to the capital, technology, broadband and workforce they need to grow.
We should invest in American innovation, from research and advanced manufacturing to energy and biotechnology, and emerging frontier technologies, while supporting R&D incentives and smart, predictable regulations that encourage competition. At the same time, innovation should create opportunities for American workers through apprenticeships, community colleges, competency-based education and workforce training.
I would also support strong antitrust enforcement and trade policies that open markets while protecting American workers from unfair competition. Free enterprise works best when markets are genuinely competitive, not when dominant companies can use their power to shut out entrepreneurs and smaller competitors. I also oppose broad, indiscriminate tariffs that raise costs for Utah businesses, manufacturers and families.
For Utah, that means building on our strengths in entrepreneurship, technology, research and a highly skilled workforce while investing in infrastructure, housing and workforce development. It also means making Utah a place where companies can build, manufacture and scale new technologies here at home. I want Utah to remain a place where people can start a business, create good jobs and build a stronger future for their families and communities.
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 would improve federal permitting by making reviews proportional to the actual impacts of a project, eliminating duplicative approvals and giving applicants clear rules and timely decisions.
We can protect communities and the environment without allowing process and bureaucracy to become an obstacle to building the housing and infrastructure Utah needs.
I’ve already worked to put that approach into practice. Last year, I co-authored a Brookings Institution proposal identifying federal barriers that were making it unnecessarily difficult to build housing near transit. We found that a relatively small transit-oriented housing project could face the same intensive federal credit review, environmental analysis and approval process as a major highway project. We proposed streamlining those requirements for low-impact development, allowing qualified lenders to handle more of the underwriting and eliminating repetitive federal approvals while preserving appropriate oversight.
Many of those recommendations are now reflected in the bipartisan Build HUBS Act, introduced by Sens. John Curtis and Lisa Blunt Rochester and a bipartisan group in the House. The bill would reduce administrative burdens and processing times, provide targeted NEPA relief for low-impact projects and make federal financing easier to use for housing near transit.
That’s the model I’ll bring back to Congress: protect the things that need protecting, but stop making Utah communities and businesses spend years navigating federal processes that add cost without adding value. Real certainty comes from clear rules, accountable agencies and decisions made on a reasonable timeline.
How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?
Water security, wildfire risk and public lands management are all connected, and Utah can’t solve one while ignoring the others. On water, I’ll demand that public subsidies come with public accountability. Too many politicians talk about saving the Great Salt Lake while approving or subsidizing water-intensive projects without accounting for their long-term impact on our water supply, including water-intensive data centers in the lake’s own watershed. I’ll invest in real conservation and work to unlock more private investment for water-wise growth to make sure Utah’s growth doesn’t come at the expense of the lake or our future water supply.
On wildfire and public lands, that means restoring the collaborative, landscape-scale planning I helped advance through the Mountain Accord by bringing water managers, land managers and local communities together before a crisis hits, not after rather than opening them to the kind of poorly planned development that increases fire risk and strains our water supply.
Water security, wildfire risk and public lands management are all connected, and Utah can’t solve one while ignoring the others. None of this works if Washington keeps treating water, fire and land as separate problems handled by separate agencies on separate timelines. Utah needs a federal partner who sees the whole system, not just the next permit.
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?
To meet the opportunity and challenge of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Utah must build now and build smart. That means unlocking the federal financing tools already on the books, like low-interest transportation loan programs, so we can build transit and housing together instead of treating them as separate afterthoughts, at no additional cost to taxpayers.
In Congress, I’ll push to modernize how these loans work: expanding access to low-cost federal financing for transit-oriented development, making it easier to build housing around rail and high-capacity bus corridors, letting certified private lenders help originate them, pooling smaller transit-oriented projects into single financing packages and streamlining duplicative environmental reviews. Those kinds of reforms can help Utah communities move faster on the housing, transit and infrastructure we need as we prepare for 2034.
We also need to make sure federal transportation policy works for a fast-growing state like Utah by supporting roads and highways where they are needed while giving communities more tools to build walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods around transit. The goal should be to get more value from every transportation dollar by connecting where people live with where they work.
And any growth we build must respect the mountains and watersheds that make the Games possible here in the first place. I won’t trade permanent damage to the Wasatch for short-term convenience. Utah has an opportunity to remind the world what a fast-growing, well-planned region looks like, and I intend to help us earn that reputation.
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 businesses can’t compete globally if we don’t build the talent pipeline at home, and that starts with treating apprenticeships, competency-based education and industry-recognized credentials with the same respect we give a four-year degree.
I’ll fight to expand registered apprenticeships and earn-while-you-learn programs in high-demand fields, invest in career and technical education starting in high school, and make sure rural and tribal communities have the same access to these pathways as our biggest metros.
I’ll also support competency-based education models that allow students to advance by demonstrating what they know and can do, rather than simply measuring how much time they spend in a classroom, and better align education with the skills employers actually need. This includes building on federal Pell Grant eligibility to cover high-quality, industry-recognized short-term credentials, expanding funding to qualified technical colleges for careers in skilled trades, health care and advanced manufacturing, and backing employer-led partnerships that train the engineers and technicians our defense and manufacturing industries need. Where Utah employers face persistent shortages in specialized fields, we should also maintain a legal immigration system that allows us to attract and retain highly skilled workers.
Workers also need real support to finish training in the first place. That means affordable childcare, reliable transportation and closing the benefits cliffs that punish people for trying to upskill. Finally, when taxpayers invest in workforce development, we should measure success by whether those programs actually lead to recognized skills and credentials, good jobs and family-sustaining wages — so growth means not just more jobs, but better ones.
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?
As a White House political appointee working on trade and manufacturing policy, I had the privilege of crafting policy to unleash American innovation and manufacturing. Since leaving government, I’ve worked in the shipbuilding and drone industries, helping start and grow businesses to develop new technologies and create economic growth. I understand how hard it is to build businesses. I also understand how important it is to craft and implement good policy to support them.
It’s not the government’s job to pick winners and losers, but to create the conditions for people to build, invest, hire and innovate. To start, there are three policies I want to advance: 1) making permanent the full expensing for business investment and R&D, 2) faster permitting and regulatory reform and 3) strategic investments in critical industries including but not limited to geothermal and nuclear energy, AI and unmanned systems, critical minerals and semiconductors.
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?
Utah businesses shouldn’t spend years navigating uncertain federal permitting processes before they can build critically needed roads, homes, energy projects, mines and manufacturing facilities.
A few simple actions should improve these processes. First, permitting decisions from federal agencies should have clear statutory deadlines. Second, review processes should be led by a true one-stop agency instead of combinations of disaggregated entities. Third, we can expand categorical exclusions where projects have already been evaluated.
As a conservationist myself who has spent years protecting threatened ecosystems, common-sense development and environmental protections are not mutually exclusive. In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.”
I believe businesses can comply with common-sense standards when they know what those standards are. My goal is simple: clear rules, one accountable agency, firm deadlines and no more endless permitting limbo.
How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?
On water, I support investing in agricultural water efficiency, modernizing aging systems, improving water measurement and encouraging market-based incentives like leasing water rights to benefit the Great Salt Lake. I would also negotiate from a position of strength to defend Utah’s Colorado River allotment.
On wildfires, we need more active forest and watershed management, such as thinning overgrown forests and using unmanned systems for early detection and response. I am eager to support the announced relocation of the U.S. Forest Service headquarters to Salt Lake City and the opportunities this presents.
On public lands, I believe in responsible multiple-use management to protect our outdoor heritage while allowing the appropriate grazing and recreation along with energy and mineral projects where suitable. I would encourage congressional action to settle and end the decades-long presidential boundary disputes at the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments with a definitive and enduring solution.
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?
The Olympics are a deadline, but they shouldn’t be the reason we build. Growth is the reason we build. Congress shouldn’t base funding on current population and congestion levels but on forecasted population growth. This would unlock critical funds for Utah and other states experiencing rapid growth. I’ll fight for federal infrastructure dollars such as the BUILD program, faster permitting, continued development of highways and transit like the I-15 and FrontRunner expansions already underway, and Olympic investments that solve the Salt Lake Valley’s multimodal transportation needs for decades to come, not just a few weeks in 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?
I learned in the White House and working in industry that you can’t have a strong manufacturing base without a strong talent pipeline.
Many young people are realizing that a traditional four-year degree is not the only path to a successful career. I want to encourage this and expand career and technical education, apprenticeships, and industry-driven training. Utah already does this well with 5,300 apprentices across 300 registered programs, and I’d work to expand those opportunities in manufacturing, construction, health care, aerospace and defense, technology, and other high-demand fields.
I believe in prioritizing American talent wherever possible. Where talent gaps exist, I support welcoming global talent to fill critical needs as a temporary solution, and using this shortfall as a demand signal to drive additional domestic training in needed sectors.
Where unfair trade or business practices exist internationally — such as dumping, forced technology transfers, IP theft, counterfeiting or non-reciprocal market access — I would fight aggressively to elevate Utah businesses and create a level playing field as I did previously in the executive branch.
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?
In Congress, I would vote for bills that support free trade, reduce taxes and limit arbitrary regulations. I would propose bills that do the same. I would vote against unnecessary federal spending, especially spending outside of the U.S. I would run a bill to repeal the War Powers Resolution. I believe that unnecessary involvement in overseas conflicts causes inflation and increased financial burden on U.S. citizens. Further, it creates uncertainty in international business relations. Free trade and free market are core principles of the Libertarian Party — that’s how we promote entrepreneurship, investment, competition and economic growth.
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 support clear rules, firm permitting deadlines and a single coordinated federal review instead of duplicative agency processes. Congress should streamline NEPA and other permitting requirements while protecting property rights and addressing measurable harms. States and local communities should have greater authority over decisions affecting their land and resources. Agencies should be required to make timely yes-or-no decisions rather than leaving projects in regulatory limbo. The goal should be certainty, accountability and less federal micromanagement — not weaker property rights or environmental responsibility.
How would you support Utah’s efforts to address water security, wildfire risk and responsible management of its public lands and natural resources?
I support protecting Utah’s water rights while expanding voluntary conservation, water banking and infrastructure improvements. Congress should help fund better measurement, agricultural efficiency and Great Salt Lake restoration while keeping the water allocation decision with Utah — not Washington. I believe in reducing military involvement overseas and I am in favor of repurposing military resources for wildfire prevention efforts and wildfire fighting efforts. I would vote for bills to protect public lands and natural resources, while providing clarity and transparency to the process of NEPA related permitting. I would support efforts to divert resources and reduce barriers for the development of technology to move us forward to more efficient use of 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?
In reducing unnecessary overseas conflicts, I believe we can free up federal funding to support infrastructure projects in our nation. Reducing federal taxes and getting the federal government out of the way of Utah businesses will be key to ensuring we can properly prepare for the Olympics. For example, Utah should be able to open public bids for construction companies to expand public transportation options in the state. Currently, we are experiencing high inflation and economic recession. In reducing taxes, opening free trade channels and holding inflation rates down, more businesses will be able to bid for the contracts and perform more efficient work.
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?
While I know the connection to this issue and other economic issues to broader anti-war policy may seem distant, I really believe that focusing on our nation first is the key to improving many economic issues in the U.S. and in Utah. We are currently facing high inflation caused by the war in Iran, which places economic distress on many areas of the economy. We are sending trillions of dollars to nations all over the globe. The federal government should return economic power back to the individual states. One-size-fits-all economic policy and education policy are holding us back. For example, with reduced federal impact, Utah leaders can focus funding on trade schools that will help fill workforce shortages. Reducing the impact of federal tax burden and again, inflation, will allow Utah businesses to compete on an international scale. The value of our dollar has reduced significantly over the past decade, and international competition is catching up. It’s time for the federal government to become more efficient and to prioritize our nation first.
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