Politics · United States · 3 hrs ago
Young Republican Riley Owen challenges an older political system in Utah
Twenty-seven-year-old Republican Riley Owen is running for Congress in Utah's newly created 1st district.
The district may lean towards Democrats, and Owen faces 51-year-old Democrat Ben McAdams, who has previously served in Congress.
Owen supports paid maternity leave, limits on congressional stock trading and environmental action, and says younger politicians can better understand issues such as technology.
McAdams has raised far more campaign money: by mid-October, he had raised over $2.6 million, compared with Owen's $150,000.
Donors tend to favor incumbents, and many members of Congress build experience in state legislatures before seeking office in Washington.
Owen says the political system needs generational change, while noting his own experience as a military officer and White House policy analyst.
Voters will decide the race on 3 November, but no result is given here.
Twenty-seven-year-old Republican Riley Owen is running for Congress in Utah’s newly created 1st congressional district.
Owen says younger generations should help renew the American Dream and argues that long-serving politicians are not delivering for Americans.
He has championed paid maternity leave, restrictions on congressional stock trading and environmental action.
His Democratic rival, Ben McAdams, had raised more than $2.6 million by mid-October, compared with $150,000 for Owen.
The election is scheduled for 3 November.
- Who
- Riley Owen, a 27-year-old Republican, is running against Democrat Ben McAdams.
- What
- Owen is challenging for a seat in the US House of Representatives.
- When
- The election is scheduled for 3 November. The year is not stated.
- Where
- Utah’s newly created 1st congressional district.
- Why
- Owen says his generation should help renew the American Dream and argues that career politicians are not delivering for Americans.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
McAdams had raised over $2.6 million, compared with $150,000 raised by Owen.
The election is scheduled to take place.
- Owen’s age
- 27
- District
- Utah’s 1st congressional district
- McAdams’s fundraising
- Over $2.6 million by mid-October
- Owen’s fundraising
- $150,000 by mid-October
- Election date
- 3 November
What people are saying
The gerontocracy is a bipartisan issue
We've got people who have become career politicians, and they spend their lives in Congress.
I think in politics, just like in industry, we need what's called disruptive innovation.