U.S. House, Utah 2nd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Utah's 2nd Congressional District?
Blake Moore has the strongest record in Utah's 2nd Congressional District. Blake Moore scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Blake Moore's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Carlton Bowen (5 of 15 criteria), Daniel Cottam (3 of 15 criteria), Peter Crosby (7 of 15 criteria) and Robert Moesinger (4 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.
Independent American
Carlton Bowen
On the ballot as Carlton E. Bowen
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 67
- Performance
- NR
Libertarian
Daniel Cottam
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 3 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Peter Crosby
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 63
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Unaffiliated
Robert Moesinger
On the ballot as Robert M. Moesinger
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Blake Moore
On the ballot as Blake D. Moore
70 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 81
Disclosure: The Political Group has provided campaign services to Blake Moore. The same rubric and the same sources were applied to every candidate in this race.
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.
Carlton Bowen
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Daniel Cottam
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Peter Crosby
- On the record2026-08
Appeared with Rep. Blake Moore at an August 2026 candidate event in Nibley, Cache County, where both answered voters on federal spending.
Source: Utah Public Radio, Aug. 12, 2026
Robert Moesinger
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Blake Moore
- Mark against2021-07
Filed periodic transaction reports for more than 70 stock trades from early 2021 weeks or months past the 45-day legal deadline and paid a late filing fee; a second late filing followed in September 2021.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20019092, Salt Lake Tribune, July 26, 2021, Insider via Yahoo News, July 29, 2021, Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 8, 2021
- Unresolved2021-07-29
The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics in July 2021 over his late stock trade reports.
Where it stands: No House Ethics Committee report or published referral found as of Oct. 6, 2026.
Sources: Insider via Yahoo News, July 29, 2021, House Committee on Ethics site search
- On the record2026-01
Issued a joint statement with Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer in January 2026 opposing the president's push to acquire Greenland.
Source: KSL, Jan. 2026
- On the record2026
Lives in Salt Lake City, outside the new 2nd District he is seeking to represent; federal law requires House members to live only in the state.
Sources: Utah Political Watch, July 6, 2026, KSL, April 15, 2026
- On the record2021-01-07
Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to the Arizona and Pennsylvania electors, while House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy voted Yea.
- On the record2018
Co-chaired the committee behind Proposition 4, the 2018 Utah ballot initiative to limit gerrymandering, before entering Congress; he has since distanced himself from it.
Source: KUER, June 1, 2026
- Credit2025-12-26
Sponsored H.R. 187, the MAPWaters Act, on federal data about recreational use of federal waterways; signed into law Dec. 26, 2025 as Pub.L. 119-62.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 187 (119th)
- Credit2022-12-27
Sponsored the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act, a monitoring program for the Great Salt Lake and other saline lakes; enacted through S. 1466, signed Dec. 27, 2022.
Source: GovTrack, H.R. 5345 (117th)
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. A 2026 candidate financial disclosure is on file with the House Clerk (filed June 10, 2026) 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 10079966, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Filed late periodic transaction reports for more than 70 stock trades made in the first half of 2021, months past the 45-day deadline, and paid a late filing fee; a second set was reported late in September 2021.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20019092, Salt Lake Tribune, July 26, 2021, Insider via Yahoo News, July 29, 2021, Salt Lake Tribune, Oct. 8, 2021
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Voted Nay on the January 2021 Pennsylvania electoral objection while Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy voted Yea; in January 2026 opposed the president's push to acquire Greenland in a joint statement with Democrat Steny Hoyer; co-chaired the 2018 Prop 4 initiative.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, KSL, Jan. 2026, KUER, June 1, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. Spoke with Moore at an August 2026 candidate event in Nibley and says he has held more than 40 town halls; he is listed for the Utah Debate Commission's 2nd District debate.
Sources: Utah Public Radio, Aug. 12, 2026, Campaign site, policies, KSL, July 9, 2026
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Holds in-person town halls across the district (series in 2024 and August 2026), took part in the June 2026 primary debate and an August candidate event, and is listed for the general election debate.
Sources: Office site, events, Office site, events, KUER, June 1, 2026, Utah Public Radio, Aug. 12, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Carlton Bowen. Served in the Air Force from 1988 to 1994, on the American Fork City Council, and as a senior IT project manager. No conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Carlton Bowen
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Former State Department official and business executive; in Congress since 2021 and elected House Republican Conference vice chair in 2023. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee report found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Blake Moore, Office site, Vice Chair, House Committee on Ethics site search
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Carlton Bowen. Took the oath as an Air Force enlistee (1988 to 1994) and as an American Fork City Council member. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Carlton Bowen
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors (Roll Calls 10 and 11); took office in January 2021, after the December 2020 Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Carlton Bowen. Former American Fork City Council member and Air Force veteran; career as a senior IT project manager at Intermountain Healthcare; state chair of the Independent American Party of Utah.
Source: Ballotpedia, Carlton Bowen
Daniel Cottam. Bariatric surgeon and business owner who has worked as a consultant with Medtronic. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cottam
Peter Crosby. Worked in corporate analytics, eight years in institutional research at a university and seven years teaching American Institutions at Utah State University. Has not held public office.
Robert Moesinger. Works as an automation and systems engineer; graduate degree from the University of Utah in 2018. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Robert Moesinger
Blake Moore. In the U.S. House since January 2021, seeking a fourth term.
Source: GovTrack, Blake Moore
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Carlton Bowen. Publishes issue positions on constitutional authority, the national debt and the Box Elder data center, which he opposes.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Daniel Cottam. His 2024 Ballotpedia survey answers state positions on regulation and housing in general terms.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cottam
Peter Crosby. Publishes a detailed policy page on affordability, government accountability, the Great Salt Lake, rural health care, data centers, Hill Air Force Base and AI, including pursuing $1 billion in federal Great Salt Lake funding.
Source: Campaign site, policies
Robert Moesinger. His Ballotpedia survey names one legislative goal: ranked choice voting in multi-member districts for U.S. House elections.
Source: Ballotpedia, Robert Moesinger
Blake Moore. Vice chair of the House Republican Conference since November 2023, an elected leadership post, and a member of the Ways and Means and Budget committees.
Sources: Office site, Vice Chair, GovTrack, committee membership, Roll Call, Nov. 8, 2023
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Carlton Bowen. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and publishes an issues page; took part in a 2024 U.S. Senate debate as a candidate.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Carlton Bowen, Campaign site, home page
Daniel Cottam. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024; has not completed the 2026 survey.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cottam
Peter Crosby. Publishes a policy page, holds town halls and took part in candidate events with his opponent. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, policies, Utah Public Radio, Aug. 12, 2026
Robert Moesinger. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Source: Ballotpedia, Robert Moesinger
Blake Moore. Sends a weekly e-newsletter, holds telephone and in-person town halls, publishes issue pages and took part in the 2026 primary debate and an August candidate forum.
Sources: Office site, newsletter, Office site, events, KUER, June 1, 2026, Utah Public Radio, Aug. 12, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. Says he and his wife have raised their family in Northern Utah for 19 years. FEC by-state totals show about 97 percent of itemized individual contributions from Utah.
Sources: Campaign site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. An Ogden native who lives in Salt Lake City, which is not part of the new 2nd District (Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Rich and part of Weber counties). FEC by-state totals show about 55 percent of itemized individual contributions from Utah.
Sources: Office site, Meet Blake, Utah Political Watch, July 6, 2026, KSL, April 15, 2026, Lieutenant Governor, 2026 general election certification, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. 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
Robert Moesinger. 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
Blake Moore. 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
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Center for Effective Lawmaking rated him meets expectations in the 118th Congress (LES 1.61 against a benchmark of 1.19) and exceeds in the 117th. Sponsored five bills that were enacted, most recently the MAPWaters Act, signed Dec. 26, 2025.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 187 (119th)
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Missed 32 of 2,915 roll call votes, 1.1 percent, from January 2021 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Keeps a district office in Ogden, offers help with federal agencies and holds regular staff mobile office hours across the district (at least seven listed from April to August 2026).
Sources: Office site, offices, Office site, events
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.26079 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 84 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Carlton Bowen. No public record found.
Daniel Cottam. No public record found.
Peter Crosby. No public record found.
Robert Moesinger. No public record found.
Blake Moore. 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 2nd Congressional District?
Blake Moore has the strongest record in Utah's 2nd Congressional District. Blake Moore scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Blake Moore's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Carlton Bowen (5 of 15 criteria), Daniel Cottam (3 of 15 criteria), Peter Crosby (7 of 15 criteria) and Robert Moesinger (4 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 2nd Congressional District in 2026?
Carlton Bowen (Independent American), Daniel Cottam (Libertarian), Peter Crosby (Democratic), Robert Moesinger (Unaffiliated), Blake Moore (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Carlton Bowen a good candidate for Congress?
Carlton Bowen has public evidence on 5 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 Daniel Cottam a good candidate for Congress?
Daniel Cottam has public evidence on 3 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 Peter Crosby a good candidate for Congress?
Peter Crosby has public evidence on 7 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 Robert Moesinger a good candidate for Congress?
Robert Moesinger has public evidence on 4 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 Blake Moore a good candidate for Congress?
Blake Moore scores 70 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 81 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
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.