Ben McAdams

Utah State Senator

McAdams was elected to replace Scott McCoy as the senator for Utah's second district in a special election on December 19, 2009.^[3] He was subsequently elected to a four-year term on November 2, 2010.

In the 2009-10 legislative session, McAdams served on the following committees:^[4]

• Appropriations - Executive Offices and Criminal Justice
• Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee, Utah Senate
• Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee, Utah Senate

In the 2011-12 legislative session, McAdams served on the following committees:

• Administrative Rules Review Committee, Utah State Legislature
• Ethics Committee, Utah State Senate
• Executive Appropriations
• Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee, Utah State Senate
• Legislative Management Committee, Utah State Legislature
• Redistricting Committee, Utah State Legislature
• Revenue and Taxation Committee, Utah State Senate
• Subcommittee on Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations

As a legislator, McAdams cosponsored S.B. 0150, a measure designed to promote communication between schools and parents of elementary school students who are reading below grade level. Governor Gary Herbert signed the bill into law on March 29, 2010.^[5]

In March 2011, McAdams proposed a bill against employment and housing discrimination against gay and transgender Utahns. His motion to hold a hearing on it failed on a party-line vote.^[6][7] Salt Lake City passed a similar measure in 2009.^[8]

McAdams received a 75% rating from the advocacy group Parents for Choice in Education during the 2012 legislative session^[9] and a 77% rating from the National Education Association.^[10] He also received an 82% score from the Utah Taxpayers Association, the highest-scoring Democrat that year.^[11] The Salt Lake Tribune identified McAdams as the most liberal-leaning member of the Utah Senate in 2011, with a conservative rating of 34.4% that year.^[12] In 2012, however, the Tribune identified him as the third-most conservative Democratic Utah state senator (out of eight total).^[13]

McAdams voted against H.B. 353,^[14], which allows medical personnel to refuse to provide abortions on moral or religious grounds. He also voted against H.B. 461,^[15] which extended the mandatory waiting period for an abortion from 24 hours to 72 business hours; this law was later found not to prevent women from having abortions.^[16] McAdams has since stated he "believes in the sanctity of life at all stages",^[17] "opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother's life, and in certain other rare circumstances",^[17] and believes "decisions about terminating a pregnancy should be made by a woman in consultation with her physician, family members and faith counselors she trusts."^[16][17]

Salt Lake County Mayor

Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez visit Palmer Court, the Road Home's permanent supportive housing development, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015.

In November 2011, McAdams announced his campaign to succeed Peter Corroon as mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah.^[18] On November 6, 2012, McAdams was elected with 54% of the vote, defeating Republican nominee Mark Crockett.^[19] McAdams resigned from the state senate after taking office as mayor.

Since taking office, McAdams has been tasked by the Utah Legislature to select a location for a new homeless shelter in Salt Lake County, outside of Salt Lake City. According to the Deseret News, the task was considered a "politically damaging decision",^[20] and was met with opposition from Cherie Wood, the mayor of South Salt Lake, where McAdams ultimately recommended the shelter be located.^[21] Before making his recommendation, McAdams spent two nights on the streets of Salt Lake City, posing as a homeless person, to "gather information before recommending a new shelter location."^[22][23] Although tasked with recommending a site for the shelter, McAdams has pledged to not support the center's groundbreaking unless the Utah Legislature passes a bill to create a pool of revenue from other cities to help fund the centers.^[20] McAdams has called for a "radically different approach ... to address homelessness," and has called homelessness a "stubborn and complex social challenge."

McAdams has been involved in the negotiations with state leaders for a proposed inland port in Salt Lake City. In January 2018, he said he strongly believes that land use and zoning decisions should remain at a local level.^[24] After the Utah Legislature passed SB023, which created an Inland Port Authority, he said he believes "for the most part the bill is fair".^[25]

As Salt Lake County Mayor, McAdams sits on the board of directors of the United Way of Salt Lake County.^[26] He has implemented a "pay-for-success" model that "invited third-party investors to pay for preschool and gain a return on their investment when specific benchmarks were met,"^[27] for which he received public recognition from the United Way in 2016.^[28]

McAdams opposed the proposal for construction of a Facebook Data Center in West Jordan in 2016. His opposition was characterized as key to scuttling negotiations, although other government entities showed resistance as well. The $2.5 billion data center would have received $195 million from the city and county in tax breaks. McAdams characterized the proposal as too expensive, given that the center would have directly produced only 130 jobs "at its peak". Supporters of the data center argued it would have drawn additional development and investment to the region.^[29]

In 2014, McAdams supported the renewal of a Zoos, Arts, and Parks (ZAP) tax in Salt Lake County.^[30] The ZAP tax amounts to 1 cent on every $10 spent. It partially funds more than 190 county arts and cultural organizations, as well as 30 parks and recreation facilities, including Hogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, and others. The tax was approved by voters in 2014, with nearly 77% of county voters in favor. ^[31]

McAdams was mentioned as a potential candidate in Utah's 2016 Senate race or Utah's 2016 gubernatorial race, but did not run for either position.^[32][33] He was reelected to a second term as Salt Lake County Mayor in November 2016 with 59% of the vote.^[34]

United States House of Representatives Campaign, 2018

On October 18, 2017, McAdams announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination to oppose incumbent Representative Mia Love, a Republican representing Utah's 4th congressional district.^[35] On April 28, 2018, McAdams won the Democratic nomination at the party's convention. With the backing of 72% of the convention delegates, McAdams avoided a primary campaign.^[36]

During the campaign, McAdams has described himself as pro-life, referring to his "deeply held beliefs about the sanctity of life", and said Love's charge that he is an abortion advocate is "offensive".^[37] McAdams is a practicing Mormon.

McAdams has distanced himself from the current House leadership, saying that he would not support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker if elected.^[38][39][40]

In June 2018, CNN reported that the race was considered "consequential to both parties" because Love has "stood up to [President Donald Trump] on immigration" and "because national Democrats see McAdams as one of their best chances to gain a foothold on red turf".^[41]

As of August 2018, RealClearPolitics ranks the race as a "tossup".^[42] A June 2018 poll showed McAdams six percentage points behind Love, within the poll's margin of error.^[43][44] Also in June, another poll showed McAdams had a higher job rating than Love, with stronger support among women and younger respondents.^[45] As of July 2017, Love's and McAdams's campaigns had approximately equal cash on hand.^[46] Another poll, performed by Dan Jones & Associates and released in September, showed McAdams three points behind Love.^[47][48]

McAdams has been endorsed by the Blue Dog Coalition,^[49] a House caucus of conservative and moderate Democrats that stresses fiscal responsibility. He has also been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters^[50]