U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens captured a third term in Congress late Tuesday.
The Republican incumbent jumped ahead with nearly 62% of the votes early Wednesday after unofficial returns started to be released hours later than expected. Democratic challenger Katrina Fallick-Wang had 33%, and the United Utah Party’s Vaughn Cook had 4%.
Owens represents Utah’s 4th Congressional District, which includes parts of Salt Lake, Utah and Juab counties, plus all of Sanpete County. He serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
He has devoted much of his congressional tenure to criticizing President Joe Biden‘s “open border” immigration policy — making assertions that people working with migrants in Utah have called “misinformation” — and decrying the “indoctrination” of college students, advocating instead for more parental rights in public education.
Owens also has challenged Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. He advocated for Biden’s impeachment in July 2023 and used the issue to raise money for his reelection campaign. He also called Harris the “greatest example of DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion — in July.
Owens declined to answer survey questions for a Salt Lake Tribune voter guide.
Fallick-Wang’s campaign centered on health care, reproductive rights, education funding and the environment. In The Tribune’s voter guide, she said she would support clean energy initiatives and advocate for federal funding to restore the Great Salt Lake. She also said she did not support mass deportation and instead called for “comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for those contributing to our society and economy.”
Cook, the United Utah Party candidate, said in The Tribune’s voter guide that he would advocate for immigration reform, including “securing the border” and “faster processing of migrants and asylum claims,” but did not support mass deportation, as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has suggested.
