As he promised he would, Brian Adams, the Democratic nominee in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, has officially withdrawn from the race after facing blowback from delegates upset at his criticism of President Joe Biden and his defense of some participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Adams was the only Democratic candidate who filed to run in the 2nd District, and the party ratified his nomination at Saturday’s convention based on a commitment from Adams that he would withdraw so the party’s governing body could pick a replacement for him on the November ballot.
The party has not formalized a timeframe for picking a new candidate, but the central committee could meet later this month or in early June, according to Thom DeSirant, the party’s executive director. Whoever is chosen will go against the winner of the Republican primary contest between Rep. Celeste Maloy, the incumbent, and Colby Jenkins, who prevailed at the GOP convention with the backing of Sen. Mike Lee.
In years past, political parties could only replace a candidate who died or was physically or mentally unable to run. The law was changed last year to give the parties leeway in the event a candidate chooses to withdraw.
Adams had drawn the ire of Democratic groups for criticizing Biden for not securing the border, supporting third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on Russia and saying those who protested non-violently inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were being “politically persecuted.” He filed his paperwork to formally withdraw from the race on Monday.
