About this position
Congressional District 4 (“CD4”) is one of Utah’s four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Utah has four House representatives who work full-time in Washington, D.C. House members vote on issues like healthcare, taxes, public lands, infrastructure, immigration, and education. Because of this, these federal races can have a significant impact on both Utah and national policy. Federal congressional members also provide a myriad of services for their constituents. Find your district.
With the recent redistricting of federal house districts to match the terms in Utah’s Proposition 4, Utah’s Congressional District 4 now covers most of the western swath of Utah, beginning on the west side of the Great Salt Lake, over to the Nevada border, and down to through Fillmore Richfield. CD4 includes parts of Salt Lake County (including Sandy, Draper, Riverton, and Herriman) as well as northern and western Utah County (cities like Lehi, Alpine, American Fork, and Eagle Mountain).
Some research indicates that CD 4 is one of the most Republican-leaning federal districts in the Mountain West this election cycle (R +27).
Candidates
We strive to give quality information on every candidate on the ballot. Find what qualities the Network of Utah Moderates is looking for in candidates.
Note: Top priorities come from candidates’ official websites. Use these guides as a starting point; we especially encourage you to reach out to the candidates or meet them to learn more about their issues and experience.
Steven Burt, unaffiliated candidate for CD4
About: Born, raised, and lives in South Jordan. Lawyer with a decade experience advocating for common-sense energy policy; worked pro-bono on immigration issues. Considers himself a “passionate centrist”
Top Priorities:
Principles: limited government, federalism, individual, and the rule of law
Priorities: tackle high cost of living, political polarization, compassionate immigration enforcement, and making sure the American Dream is still alive.
Politics: raise minimum wage, Congress to reassert authority re: tariffs and fiscal policy, prioritize tax relief for ordinary Americans. Break the two-party stranglehold. Immigration reform that respects dignity and rights.
Our take: We have not personally met Mr. Burt, but he comes across as a common-sense candidate who aligns with many of our principles. You can watch a debate with Mr. Burt and the Libertarian candidate (and former Republican candidate Seth Stewart, who did not make it through the primary). We wish him luck in this race.
Mike Kennedy, Republican nominee for CD4
About: Mr. Kennedy is a longtime family medicine doctor and lawyer. He lives in Alpine with his family. Before moving to Washington, D.C. when elected in 2024, he formerly served 10 years in Utah’s state legislature as well as practicing medicine. Mr. Kennedy’s campaign has raised nearly a million dollars this election cycle, roughly half from PACs and half from individuals).
Top priorities from official website:
Making Washington smaller and Utah stronger: expand energy production, strengthen wildfire prevention, expand healthcare access, oppose wasteful spending and federal overreach (like the Chevron doctrine)
Cutting taxes and lowering the cost of living: eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, support strengthened Child Tax Credit and car loan interest deduction, sponsored the Let’s Get to Work Act
Protecting taxpayer and reining in government: Against bloated spending bills and policies that expand government without accountability, reduce fraud and abuse, stronger oversight of taxpayer dollars
American energy independence and dominance: expand domestic energy production, oppose federal power to limit access to Utah resources, cut red tape
Secure the border and enforce the law: Support the Laken Riley Act, stop the flow of fentanyl, strengthen border security, go after drug cartels.
Improving healthcare access and affordability: Support policies that make it easier to open and sustain rural hospitals, expand telehealth, support Health Savings Accounts
Defending the Constitution and Standing with Families: defend right to life, Second Amendment, parental rights; push back on federal overreach
Insights: Several Network members have listened and spoken frequently to Mr. Kennedy for many years, including multiple times this election cycle. While we’ve found Mr. Kennedy usually reasonable in private, we’ve noticed he quickly becomes a “red meat” Republican even in small groups—spending his time attacking perceived political opponents and disparaging Democrats instead of addressing the issues his constituents want. On one recent occasion, we heard him claim there were communist China sleeper cells all over the country “because Mamdami was elected” mayor in New York City.
His record falls largely along party lines, including voting for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” against supporting Ukraine, against ending US hostilities in Iran, and against restoring Temporary Protected Status to Haitians. While we appreciate Mr. Kennedy’s work to expand some forms of healthcare, we cannot in good conscience recommend Mr. Kennedy, who we see as a party-line politician who has neglected to stand up against Constitutional violations during his term in Congress.
Jonny Larsen, Democratic nominee for CD 4
About: Former marine veteran (deployed twice to Iraq) and IT professional. 5th generation Utahn raised in a trailer park in Salt Lake City, with a stint in foster care. Later studied at the University of Utah. Note: Mr. Larsen’s campaign has raised about $17k thus far, of which 97% comes from individual donors.
Top priorities from official website:
Affordability:
A home you can actually buy: Stop corporations and institutional investors from buying homes, protect first-time homebuyers, bring housing costs down
Healthcare that works for families: Hold insurance companies accountable, expand rural access, bring prescription drug costs down, push for VA clinics
Cost of living: Rein in Washington tariffs, trade policies, and wars to lower costs for everyday Utahns. Make sure tax dollars go to individuals, not corporations.
Support the working class:
Living wages
Right to organize and labor rights
Defend public lands, fully fund PILT, protect grazing access, and protect rural communities
Accountability:
Fix immigration laws to be fair and enforceable—secure the border while creating workable pathways and stop corporations from exploiting workers
Overturn Citizens United, ban congressional stock trading
Defend the Constitution, Social Security and Medicare; hold the administration accountable
Utah values:
Equal rights for every Utahn, men and women, straight and LGBTQ, etc.
Protect the Great Salt Lake by incentivizing farmers to cut irrigation usage and protect farmland from forced sales
Protect public school funding, support teachers, and make sure tax dollars reach the classroom
Stand with Utah Veterans: restore VA staffing, build dedicated housing for homeless veterans, and expand mental health access
Insights:
Mr. Larsen would bring a highly unusual and, in our opinion, helpful background to Congress. Few federal or even state representatives truly have a lower-working-class background or experiences, even though a significant portion of this district and the country fall into those demographics. As a veteran of both foster care and the Armed Services, Mr. Larsen holds a uniquely personal perspective on the challenges many Utahns face. He is also one of the only candidates we’ve seen talking about helping both farmers and veterans.
We’re impressed that, to our knowledge, Mr. Larsen has refrained from criticizing voters across the aisle during his campaign (a welcome change from his Republican opponent). We note that he was late for a financial disclosure deadline, although the miss didn’t seem to be intentional (and several of us know from experience how confusing it can be when running on one’s own).
Taylor Wright, Libertarian candidate for CD 4
About: PE teacher who works with adults with special needs in Herriman, Utah. Proud Libertarian candidate. It was hard to find more personal information online, but Mr. Wright has a podcast called “Saving Humanity.”
Top priorities from official website:
Individual liberty: Make our own choices about life, work, and future without government interference.
State’s rights & federalism: follow the Constitution and reclaim its responsibility to check executive power—especially for war and federal authority
Decentralizing power: return decision-making to states, communities, and individuals
Free markets: no market distortion from policies like tariffs.
Foreign policy should be guided by peace, trade, and respect for other nations’ sovereignty
Insights: One of our members met and talked with Mr. Wright at length. We appreciated his focus on individual freedom and the Constitution, and his desire to stand up against the abuses of the current administration, especially against tariffs and war powers. However, we were a little sad to see him denigrate his Democratic opponent just for being a Democrat during this same event. See this debate with Mr. Burt and a Republican who didn’t make it out of convention
Recommendations:
CD4 has multiple interesting candidates. After close scrutiny of Mr. Kennedy’s record and recent speeches, we cannot in good conscience recommend voting for him. We find he has failed to check the executive power of his own party, even when it violates the Constitution; frequently treats political opponents with disdain; and occasionally peddles conspiracy theories.
Realistically, CD 4 is a very GOP-leaning district—so we wish it were a two-way race. Both Mr. Burt (unaffiliated) and Mr. Larsen (Democratic candidate) bring much to recommend them. The nonpartisan Utah Debate Commission recently hosted a debate for CD 4.
We feel that Mr. Burt and Mr. Larsen seem to live up to our values. Your choice will come down to your preferred policies and strategy. If we are to put fingers on the scale, we believe Mr. Larsen has more momenum right now—and thus a better chance of making a dent.
As always, we encourage voters to check candidates’ websites and social media, watch their debate, and reach out directly to decide which is their preferred candidate in this race.