Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, is known to be a fighter on Utah’s Capitol Hill — often a fiery voice on the Senate floor advocating for progressive stances on issues ranging from education to health care.

Now, she hopes to bring that same fighting voice to Congress in the 2026 midterm elections — a year when she and other Democrats have high hopes of recapturing the majority in the U.S. House.

Democrats ‘fired up’ for Utah in 2026

Depending on how Democrats fare across the country, the 2026 midterms could shine a unique spotlight on Utah, which for the first time in more than 20 years is on track to have a Democratic-leaning congressional district. The state that has long been reliably red now has the potential of tipping the political scales in the U.S. House for Democrats.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, in a statement earlier this week lauding Utah’s new court-ordered congressional map said “every seat counts, and Democrats everywhere are fired up and ready to take back the House” in 2026.

“It’s going to totally change the face of Utah at the national level,” Riebe told Utah News Dispatch in an interview, adding that the Beehive State has long been “taken for granted” as a guaranteed Republican stronghold.

“It’s going to be a big change,” she said. “You know, we have people concerned that we’re a flyover state. And now we won’t be.”

Riebe said she was planning on running for Congress next year regardless of what map 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson picked in Utah’s court-ordered redistricting process, but now she’s gearing up to run for District 1 — a district concentrated around northern Salt Lake County.

Because that district leans heavily Democratic, it’s likely the race will be determined by the Democratic primary. And Riebe isn’t the only one eying the seat. Utah’s last Democratic congressman, former Rep. Ben McAdams, is expected to formally announce his candidacy Thursday.

Utah Democrats want a ‘strong Democrat,’ Riebe says

Riebe said she’s “not concerned at all” about facing off with McAdams, saying she’s confident that she’s a “strong candidate.”

“I’ve done a lot of hard work for the people of Utah and Salt Lake County,” she said. “(McAdams) has his voting records, and people can start to look at that. I know that something that’s really been brought up to me, frequently, is his support of independents. And Democrats want a Democrat. And they want a strong Democrat. So I feel like that’s going to be the difference between him and I.”

McAdams has been known to have more of a moderate and collaborative style. In 2022, he was a leading voice urging his party to forfeit a Democratic nominee and instead back independent candidate Evan McMullin in an effort to unseat Republican Sen. Mike Lee. The party voted to do so — but in the end the effort failed, and McMullin lost.

Riebe expects the Democratic race for District 1 will be hard fought. “I always anticipate it being a hard race, and I fully anticipate doing everything I can to make sure that I present myself well.”

When McAdams won his congressional election in 2018, it was by narrow margins against the GOP — but now that the newly-drawn District 1 is likely to be reliably Democratic-leaning, Riebe said that changes the dynamics of next year’s race.

“I think it’s going to give me a lot of strength to stand up for the values of Salt Lake County,” she said. “We’re not like the rest of the state. We have a very urban feel to it. We rely on taking care of a very diverse community. So when you’re running a state race that’s more competitive and you have a bigger field, you have to be a little bit more scattered in your decisions.”

“But for me,” she added, “I’m here to fight for what my county wants now. And I don’t think we’ve had that in a while.”

Priorities

In her official campaign announcement Wednesday morning, Riebe signaled that affordable health care will be a top priority for her — at a time when Democrats in Congress have tried (so far unsuccessfully) to pressure Republicans to counter skyrocketing health insurance premiums for people in the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

“Republicans promised to bring prices down, but instead costs have gone up with Trump’s reckless tariffs, and Republicans have slashed health care — all to give tax breaks to billionaires,” Riebe said in a news release. “That’s why I was so frustrated to see Democrats in Washington take a deal that didn’t do anything to extend the much-needed Affordable Care Act tax subsidies that working families need to help them get by.”

Riebe said it’s “become evident that in order to change what we get out of Washington, we have to change the kind of representatives we send there.”

“In Congress, I’ll never back down from the fight to lower costs and increase health care affordability,” Riebe said, adding that she also “won’t take a dime” of corporate political action committee money “so I’m only accountable to the people who sent me.”

“I know how to get things accomplished in a divided government, and I’m ready to make Washington work for working families in Utah,” she said.

Riebe said she’ll do the same as she has on Utah’s Capitol Hill: speak up for the state’s liberal voices who haven’t felt represented by Republicans in power. While she acknowledged in the Utah Senate she doesn’t “get my name on a lot of bills,” she said she makes sure to be the fighting voice to ensure those who disagree with the supermajority GOP get heard.

“Sometimes you have to be the fighter and the lone vote ‘no’ just to say … there has to be a line in the sand,” she said. “So I’ll fight when I need to and I’ll collaborate when I can.”

Who is Kathleen Riebe?

Riebe was first elected to the Utah Senate in 2019. Before her legislative service, she served on the Utah State Board of Education.

Riebe has a long career in education — having been an educator in Granite School District and more recently a digital teaching and learning coach. She helps train teachers, including in rural areas.

But before her career in education, Riebe said she’s also worked in a lot of other working-class jobs. Aside from being a teacher, she said she’s also worked as a truck driver, waitress, police dispatcher, barista and forestry technician.

“I’ve had to work really hard … I’m one of the few people that show up to a job every day and get paid to work,” she said. “A lot of people have a lot more financial security than I do — and I think that’s what’s really missing in our government right now. We don’t recognize how hard people are really trying to make ends meet.”

In her current role as an educator, Riebe said she sees people in rural communities who are “really struggling.”

“I’m in schools. I see families. I understand that they don’t eat sometimes. I see how many free lunches we’re serving. I see kids come to school with medical issues that aren’t being addressed,” Riebe said, adding that it’s “really shocking to me” that those in Washington, D.C. “don’t have a heart for the people that are struggling.”

Riebe said if she’s elected to represent Utah in Congress, she’ll prioritize fighting for affordable health care while also defending against what she characterized as attacks on the education system, both in Utah and across the nation.

“I’m also concerned about immigration and how our average citizens are afraid to walk the streets if they are, you know, someone who speaks Spanish,” she said. “You know, calling out the National Guard to fight against the average citizen is just not what I believe America should be.”

Riebe said she believes she’s the right person to fight for Utah at a time when she “totally” believes Democrats will take back the U.S. House in 2026 to push back against President Donald Trump’s administration.

“I think people are very, very alarmed at what’s coming out of Washington right now,” she said. “From knocking down the East Wing, to these aggressive executive orders, to taking away congressional benefits that we really have no rights to do… It’s alarming. And it’s really hurting the people that work hard to keep America going.”