Riley
Owen
Republican nominee Riley Owen, a political newcomer, is challenging Democrat Ben McAdams in Utah's new 1st Congressional District in 2026.
- sources
- 10
- positions
- 10
- endorsements
- 2
Background
Riley Owen is the 2026 Republican nominee for Utah's newly drawn 1st Congressional District, running against Democratic candidate Ben McAdams in the November 3, 2026 general election. 18 He is classified by the FEC as a challenger with no prior elected office; Deseret News described him in August 2026 as a "political newcomer." 86
Owen was raised in Southern California and is descended from six generations of Utahns. 3 He studied international affairs at Princeton University, graduating with high honors, and earned a Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford. 107 His career has included work as a White House policy analyst on manufacturing, trade, and federal pandemic-response efforts, roles in defense technology and at Fincantieri Marine Group, and the founding of the wildlife-conservation organization Sentala. 10
Owen currently serves as a Naval Reserve intelligence officer and is managing director of Sentala. 1026 He previously served as CEO of Doers Network, a Utah-based moderate conservative organization, a role he held through approximately April 2026. 326 He secured the Republican nomination at the Utah GOP state convention in April 2026. 7
At a glance
- Party
- Republican
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 1, Utah
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer and managing director of Sentala
- Website
- utahriley.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 8newsWIRED names Utah's 1st Congressional District race among midterms races to watch
WIRED included the McAdams-Owen contest in Utah's 1st Congressional District on its list of midterm races to watch.
WIRED's Midterms Races to Watch · Oct 8, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 29debateOwen and McAdams debate at Salt Lake Community College in first general-election debate
Owen and McAdams faced off in a debate hosted by the Utah Debate Commission at Salt Lake Community College. Libertarian Jesse West, unaffiliated Elias Montgomery, and write-in Bobby Darvish did not qualify for the stage.
Ben McAdams, Riley Owen focus on high prices, AI policy in first ... · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 29debateOwen outlines housing, AI, energy, and fiscal policy positions at debate
Owen proposed expanding the low-income housing tax credit, prohibiting corporations from buying housing stock, a business tax credit for paid maternity leave, AI regulation targeting risk rather than innovation, Medicaid work requirements, a balanced federal budget, and an all-of-the-above energy approach including small modular nuclear reactors.
Increased costs, AI, Data Centers: Ben McAdams, Riley Owen discuss key issues during debate for Congressional District 1 · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 29newsOwen says he is not running to defend Trump or the Republican Party
After the debate, Owen stated: 'I'm not running to defend President Trump or to defend a party, I'm running to fight for the Utahns of the First Congressional District,' adding that Trump 'gets some things right' and 'some things wrong.'
Lots of common ground, but some big disagreements in Utah's ... · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 15newsRiley Owen listed as Republican candidate in 2026 Weber County Voter Guide
The Ogdenite published a 2026 Weber County Voter Guide listing Owen as a candidate in the 1st Congressional District race.
2026 Weber County Voter Guide - The Ogdenite · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Apr 1filingRiley Owen wins Republican nomination at Utah state party convention with 71.2% of delegate support
Owen secured the Republican nomination for Utah's 1st Congressional District at the state party convention, receiving 71.2% of delegate support according to ABC4.
Increased costs, AI, Data Centers: Ben McAdams, Riley Owen discuss key issues during debate for Congressional District 1 · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Derek Brown, Utah Attorney General officialReported by Deseret News on March 12, 2026; exact date of endorsement not given. Also referenced in Owen campaign announcement of April 27, 2026. deseret.com
- Robert O'Brien, former National Security Adviser to President Trump officialReported by Deseret News on March 12, 2026; exact date of endorsement not given. Also referenced in Owen campaign announcement of April 27, 2026. deseret.com
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $133K
- Spent
- $123K
- Cash on hand
- $9,568
As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6UT01244(opens in a new tab)
Sources 10
- [1] WIRED's Midterms Races to Watch(opens in a new tab) Oct 8, 2026
- [2] A Utah Democrat and Republican walk into a debate — and largely ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 2, 2026
- [3] Ben McAdams, Riley Owen focus on high prices, AI policy in first ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
- [4] Lots of common ground, but some big disagreements in Utah's ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
- [5] Ben McAdams, Riley Owen find much to agree on in debate for ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
- [6] Increased costs, AI, Data Centers: Ben McAdams, Riley Owen discuss key issues during debate for Congressional District 1(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
- [7] McAdams offers a check on Trump. Owen offers a new kind of ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
- [8] 2026 Weber County Voter Guide - The Ogdenite(opens in a new tab) Sep 15, 2026
- [9] Meet the Republicans running in Utah's new 1st Congressional ...(opens in a new tab) Mar 12, 2026
- [10] Riley Owen for Utah(opens in a new tab) Feb 16, 2026