KUER politics reporters Sean Higgins and Hugo Rikard-Bell join us, along with the Salt Lake Tribune’s Robert Gehrke. We’ll walk through the races that mattered. One is Ben McAdams’s bid to become the first Democrat to represent Utah in Congress since he himself left office in 2021. Another is Amendment B, the Legislature’s push for a higher bar on tax-raising ballot initiatives. Then we’ll hear from political consultants Gabi Finlayson and Jackie Morgan. They’re hoping to break the Republican supermajority in Utah in the coming years.
Utahns went to the polls with the same frustrations as much of the country: high prices, the war with Iran, and the fight over data centers. Did those grievances translate into votes in a state Republicans have dominated for decades? And does Utah tell us anything about the mood of the nation?
GUESTS –
Sean Higgins and Hugo Rikard-Bell |KUER politics reporters and co-hosts of the podcast State Street.
Robert Gehrke | Politics reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune.
Gabi Finlayson and Jackie Morgan | Senior partners at Elevate Strategies.
Airdate: Nov. 4, 2026