U.S. House, Utah 1st Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Utah's 1st Congressional District?
Ben McAdams has the strongest record in Utah's 1st Congressional District. Ben McAdams scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Riley Owen at 58, as of October 6, 2026. Ben McAdams's highest marks are relevant experience and results. Riley Owen's highest marks are accountability and command of the job. Elias Henry Montgomery (0 of 15 criteria) and Jesse West (1 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Strongest record
Ben McAdams
73 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 88
Unaffiliated
Elias Henry Montgomery
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 0 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- NR
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Riley Owen
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Libertarian
Jesse West
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Ben McAdams
- On the record2026-09-29
KSL's Truth Test rated his Sept. 29, 2026 debate claim about fixing Social Security by lifting the payroll tax cap as misleading.
Source: KSL, Sept. 30, 2026
- On the record2020-01
Voted against the January 2020 House war powers resolution on Iran that most Democrats supported.
Source: KUER, Jan. 14, 2020
- On the record2019-01-03
Voted for Rep. Stephanie Murphy, not his party's nominee Nancy Pelosi, in the Jan. 3, 2019 election of the speaker.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 2, Jan. 3, 2019, KUTV, Jan. 3, 2019
- Credit2021-01-13
Sponsored H.R. 4704, the Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act, signed into law Jan. 13, 2021 as Pub.L. 116-339.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 4704 (116th)
- Credit2020-10-17
Sponsored H.R. 8173, a study of high altitude and suicide risk among veterans; its provisions were enacted through S. 785, signed Oct. 17, 2020.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 8173 (116th)
- Credit2020-06
Received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's first Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship in 2020, with a score of 98 percent.
Source: KUTV, June 2020
- Credit2013
As Salt Lake County mayor, launched Pay for Success programs in 2013 that paid public money for early education, homelessness and recidivism programs only if they worked.
Source: Deseret News, Dec. 28, 2018
Elias Henry Montgomery
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Riley Owen
- On the record2026-09-29
KSL's Truth Test rated his debate claim that a pro-AI PAC spent $1.1 million supporting McAdams as true but lacking context.
Source: KSL, Sept. 30, 2026
- On the record2026-08-11
Announced a 'Hard Questions' tour of open public events in the 1st District in August 2026.
Source: Deseret News, Aug. 11, 2026
Jesse West
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Ben McAdams. A 2026 candidate financial disclosure is on file with the House Clerk (filed May 14, 2026) and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or House Ethics matter found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076595, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. A 2026 candidate financial disclosure is on file with the House Clerk (filed May 24, 2026, amended May 30) and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076576, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jesse West. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Ben McAdams. As a House member he voted for Rep. Stephanie Murphy rather than his party's nominee, Nancy Pelosi, for speaker in January 2019, and voted against his party on the January 2020 Iran war powers resolution.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 2, Jan. 3, 2019, KUTV, Jan. 3, 2019, KUER, Jan. 14, 2020
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. No public record found.
Jesse West. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Ben McAdams. Took part in the Utah Debate Commission's 1st District general election debate at Salt Lake Community College on Sept. 29, 2026.
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Took part in the Sept. 29, 2026 Utah Debate Commission debate and announced a 'Hard Questions' tour of open public events where voters can question him.
Sources: Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 30, 2026, Deseret News, Aug. 11, 2026, Campaign site, events
Jesse West. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Ben McAdams. Served as a state senator, as Salt Lake County mayor from 2013 to 2019 and in the U.S. House from 2019 to 2021. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Ben McAdams
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Has served as a White House policy analyst, a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and a startup executive. No conduct finding found.
Source: Deseret News, Aug. 11, 2026
Jesse West. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Ben McAdams. Held sworn office as a state senator, county mayor and U.S. representative (2019 to 2021). He left the House on Jan. 3, 2021, before the January 2021 electoral count. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Ben McAdams
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Serves as a commissioned intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Ballotpedia, Riley Owen
Jesse West. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Ben McAdams. Served a full term in the U.S. House (2019 to 2021), two terms as Salt Lake County mayor and in the Utah State Senate.
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Worked as a White House policy analyst on manufacturing, trade and pandemic supply response, serves as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and has led a defense technology startup. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Riley Owen, Deseret News, Aug. 11, 2026
Jesse West. Works as a family law attorney, with prior jobs as an associate attorney at three firms, a law clerk and contract administrator, and owner of a hemp farm. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Jesse West
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Ben McAdams. Served on the House Financial Services and Science, Space, and Technology committees in 2019 to 2020. His 2026 platform sets out positions on housing, health care, prices and other issues, mostly in general terms.
Sources: Ballotpedia, committee assignments, Campaign site, platform
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Lists specific legislative proposals: tax credits for employers offering six weeks of paid maternity leave, age verification for social media, a ban on congressional stock trading and term limits by constitutional amendment.
Source: Campaign site, issues
Jesse West. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Ben McAdams. Publishes platform pages, offers text message updates and took part in the 2026 general election debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, platform, Campaign site, home page, Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 30, 2026
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey, publishes an issues page and took part in the 2026 general election debate.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Riley Owen, Campaign site, issues, Salt Lake Tribune, Sept. 30, 2026
Jesse West. No public record found.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Ben McAdams. Served six years as mayor of Salt Lake County, most of which the new 1st District covers. FEC by-state totals show about 72 percent of itemized individual contributions from Utah.
Sources: Deseret News, Dec. 28, 2018, Deseret News, Aug. 11, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Says Utah is his home and his family has six generations of Utahns; he was raised in Southern California. FEC by-state totals show about 50 percent of itemized individual contributions from Utah.
Sources: Campaign site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Jesse West. No public record found.
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Ben McAdams. Ran Salt Lake County as mayor for six years; the council's roughly $1.5 billion 2019 budget kept most of the funding he proposed. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026; no FEC administrative fine.
Sources: Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 5, 2018, FEC administrative fines search
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Jesse West. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Ben McAdams. Center for Effective Lawmaking rated him above expectations in the 116th Congress (Legislative Effectiveness Score 1.74 against a benchmark of 1.00). Two bills he sponsored on suicide research were enacted.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. No public record found.
Jesse West. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Ben McAdams. Missed 2 of 954 roll call votes, 0.2 percent, from January 2019 to December 2020.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. No public record found.
Jesse West. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Ben McAdams. No public record found.
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. No public record found.
Jesse West. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Ben McAdams. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 1.27925 for the 116th Congress, ranked 40th of 437 House members, in the top quarter. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave him its 2020 Jefferson-Hamilton Award for Bipartisanship.
Sources: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, 116th Congress House Scores, KUTV, June 2020
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. No public record found.
Jesse West. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Ben McAdams. As county mayor launched Pay for Success contracts in 2013 under which taxpayer money paid for programs only if they worked; his last county budget passed with no tax increase.
Sources: Deseret News, Dec. 28, 2018, Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 5, 2018
Elias Henry Montgomery. No public record found.
Riley Owen. No public record found.
Jesse West. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Utah's 1st Congressional District?
Ben McAdams has the strongest record in Utah's 1st Congressional District. Ben McAdams scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Riley Owen at 58, as of October 6, 2026. Ben McAdams's highest marks are relevant experience and results. Riley Owen's highest marks are accountability and command of the job. Elias Henry Montgomery (0 of 15 criteria) and Jesse West (1 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Utah's 1st Congressional District in 2026?
Ben McAdams (Democratic), Elias Henry Montgomery (Unaffiliated), Riley Owen (Republican), Jesse West (Libertarian). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Ben McAdams a good candidate for Congress?
Ben McAdams scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 88 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Elias Henry Montgomery a good candidate for Congress?
Elias Henry Montgomery has public evidence on 0 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Riley Owen a good candidate for Congress?
Riley Owen scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Jesse West a good candidate for Congress?
Jesse West has public evidence on 1 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Utah race scored, and the Utah 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.