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Utah's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Republican primary)

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2026
2022
Utah's 3rd Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: January 8, 2024
Primary: June 25, 2024
General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Utah
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Republican
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
Utah's 3rd Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th
Utah elections, 2024
U.S. Congress elections, 2024
U.S. Senate elections, 2024
U.S. House elections, 2024

A Republican Party primary took place on June 25, 2024, in Utah's 3rd Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Mike Kennedy advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 3.

All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies.[1] As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 64.4%-29.5%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Donald Trump (R) would have defeated Joe Biden (D) 57.5%-38.3%.[2]

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
January 8, 2024
June 25, 2024
November 5, 2024


A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Utah, state law allows parties to decide who may vote in their primaries.[3] Check Vote.Utah.gov for details about upcoming elections.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Utah's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 3

Mike Kennedy defeated Case Lawrence, JR Bird, Stewart O. Peay, and John Dougall in the Republican primary for U.S. House Utah District 3 on June 25, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mike Kennedy
Mike Kennedy Candidate Connection
 
38.8
 
43,618
Image of Case Lawrence
Case Lawrence Candidate Connection
 
22.1
 
24,884
Image of JR Bird
JR Bird Candidate Connection
 
15.3
 
17,207
Image of Stewart O. Peay
Stewart O. Peay
 
14.2
 
15,954
Image of John Dougall
John Dougall Candidate Connection
 
9.6
 
10,800

Total votes: 112,463
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of JR Bird

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "JR Bird stands as an example of strength, perseverance, and community involvement. He is a husband to Brindy Bird, and a proud Father of 4 wonderful children. JR was born in Roosevelt, Utah, where he currently resides today. From growing up in humble circumstances, at one point living in a 10 x 20 shed as a child after the family home was lost in a fire, JR successfully grew multiple businesses and became the mayor of his hometown. While still in his twenties, JR founded Paragon Oilfield Products, a thriving enterprise supplying the oil & gas, and agricultural industries. He has also played a pivotal role in revitalizing other local businesses, preserving jobs, and fortifying the community’s economic foundation. As Mayor of Roosevelt, JR has increased transparency, reduced violent crime, pushed back against COVID-19 mandates, passed term limits, and has kept taxes low. JR’s commitment to restoring the core American values of freedom, integrity, accountability, and selfless service is unwavering. JR’s service and community involvement extends beyond the Mayor position, and is a member of the Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Roosevelt Economic Development committee, and Interfaith Council. He has served as a volunteer firefighter, and was a member of the Central Utah Water Conservancy Board for eight years. JR’s devotion to faith, family, and community is complimented by his love of the land, where he enjoys growing alfalfa, and raising a few cattle on the family farm."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


The Federal government has an obligation to protect our citizens against foreign threats and invasion. JR’s determination to protect our families and secure our borders is un wavering. JR will demand the proper execution of the existing immigration laws, work to codify the “Remain in Mexico” policy, provide funding for the wall, where it makes sense, and funding for equipment and resources necessary for our border agents to be successful. Having eight years of experience working with the Latin community, JR will foster legislation that will simplify the immigration process for good people wanting to come legally, entertain other H2A and H2B work visa options, and provide stronger penalties for illegals.


JR understands that one of the greatest threats to our country, is the budget and national debt. Out-of-control spending has led to accelerated inflation, higher costs of living, and a debt service that will crush our children and grandchildren, putting the American dream out of reach for generations. As a business owner and Mayor, JR has experience balancing both business and government budgets. JR knows that a return to proper process, including statutory budget timelines and single-subject spending bills, is imperative to fulfill Congress’ No. 1 fiduciary responsibility of passing and balancing a budget. JR would also support measures forcing representatives to focus solely on spending bills, until a budget is passed.


JR has a record of restoring Trust, Transparency, and Accountability at the local level, and knows that this is paramount to getting our country back on track. JR will prioritize restoring the balance of power at the federal level by adhering to the Constitution, reigning in the executive branch by eliminating executive orders that create law or regulation, to re-establish congress as the sole regulatory, law making body. This would greatly resolve the whiplash between presidential administrations regarding border policy, energy policy, environmental policy, and the weaponization of bureaucracies that push partisan agendas with limited oversight. JR is an advocate for the REIGNS Act. JR also see’s a great need to restore federalism.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 3 in 2024.

Image of John Dougall

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "As Utah’s trusted taxpayer watchdog, State Auditor John “Frugal” Dougall spent years rooting out waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption – without fear or favor. In the legislature, he fought to get government off your back and out of your wallet. Dougall’s record is unmatched. His visionary leadership won real victories for tax reform, government transparency, election integrity, educational freedom, pension reform, and most importantly budget accountability. He’s hailed by the Deseret News as "possibly the most impactful auditor in Utah history." Chaos, scandal, and division among Republicans jeopardize America’s economy and security. Rescuing the American Dream requires big, innovative ideas and serious, adult leadership, built on mainstream principles not MAGA antics. Working across the aisle, Dougall’s trustworthy voice for Utah values will deliver real results. Using his demonstrated approach, Dougall will tackle America’s most critical problems. He’ll work to fight inflation and boost the economy, cut reckless spending and overreach, strengthen our national defense, secure the border, and fix our broken immigration system. He supports onshoring key industries, saving Social Security for future generations, and patients controlling their healthcare not candidates and special interests who defend federal government control of medicine. Utah needs Dougall’s proven track record in Congress. Vote Frugal!"


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Fiscal sanity. Rein in reckless spending. With almost $35 trillion in national debt, America's spending trajectory is unsustainable. It punishes American familes, undercuts our economy, and poses a critical national security threat. Congress has 2 key responsibilities: budgeting and oversight. It's failing at both. Budgeting and oversight are my key skills, as a legislator and auditor. I believe that the solution to our national deficit and national debt requires a combination of both cutting spending and growing the economy. Targeting wasteful spending and improving the efficiency of government programs can yield savings without cutting essential services while the government can make substantial progress in lowering the deficit.


My Ellis Island Immigration plan rests of 2 pillars: securing the border and fixing legal immigration. Legal, hardworking immigrants helped build a strong, vibrant America. Criminal chaos weakens it. Like Ellis Island, America needs an orderly pathway for immigrants seeking lawful entry and the pursuit of the American Dream. We can have immigration policies that keep our communities safe while building a stronger, prosperous, and secure America. Fixing consists of streamlining green card applications and temporary worker programs, conducting comprehensive background checks, and requiring each immigrant to have a job or a sponsor. Border security involved completing and reinforcing the southern border wall, restricting asylum laws,


Economic vitality and energy dominance. Capital flows where it is rewarded and flees where it is punished. America must have a tax and regulatory structure that rewards domestic investment, rather than pushing industries offshore. Right now, America is too beholden on other nations for critical industries. Unfortunately, rather than creating a welcoming economy, the Biden Administrating is trying to bribe some companies to invest domestically while imposing massive tariffs on others to supposedly protect domestic industries. We must unleash our energy sector, whether nuclear, oil, gas, geothermal, etc. to supply the world. When the U.S. supplies the world with energy resources, it promotes global security.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 3 in 2024.

Image of Mike Kennedy

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Mike is committed to bringing principled, results-driven leadership to the forefront and putting Utahns ahead of special interests. As a family physician, attorney, business owner, and father, Mike Kennedy has seen up close how the failure of Washington to control inflation, secure our border, or even pass a budget makes life harder for everyday Americans. As a legislator, serving in Utah’s part-time legislature, Mike Kennedy has been a conservative advocate for fiscal responsibility, limited government, and safeguarding individual liberties. His legislative achievements include working with others to cut taxes and balance the budget, while spearheading multiple efforts to make government more efficient and protecting the most vulnerable in society. As a state senator, Mike is respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for his ability to listen and present thoughtful, conservative solutions to complex problems. Mike understands that standing on principle while getting things done is more important than just grabbing headlines. No stranger to hard work, Mike grew up in a single-parent household, working to put himself through college at BYU and later medical school and law school. Today, Mike works as a family doctor in Lindon and volunteers his time providing free medical care to uninsured Utah residents at the Provo Volunteer Care Clinic. He is a dedicated husband to his wife of 31 years, Katrina, a father of eight, and a grandfather of nine."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Mike Kennedy is focused on securing our border and keeping our families safe, emphasizing law and order. He’s committed to completing the border wall and leveraging the latest surveillance technology. Ensuring our border security and efficient immigration system reflects his dedication to safety and respect for the law. Kennedy is determined to provide border patrol and law enforcement with the tools, technology, staffing, and funding they need, reinforcing their capability to maintain secure borders. As a first-generation American, he appreciates America’s promise. After securing the border, Kennedy plans to streamline the legal immigration process, allowing law-abiding individuals to contribute to and share in the American dream.


Mike Kennedy will tackle inflation to make Utah more affordable for families and small businesses. Committed to economic growth, sensible tax policies, and energy independence, he aims to stabilize the economy and control living costs. Kennedy plans to reduce bureaucracy, supporting legislation to help startups and encourage business innovation, aiming for a thriving market and job creation. His legislative work has helped secure over $1 billion in tax relief, putting money back into Utahns' pockets and prioritizing the family budget. As a small business owner and father of 8, Kennedy understands daily challenges families face making ends meet, advocating for policies that ease burdens on working families and small businesses.


Mike understands it's time to rein in Washington, placing families ahead of special interests. He will prioritize Utah's interests, focusing on policies that uplift families, boost local businesses, and strengthen communities. His commitment to principled leadership aims to restore common sense in Washington and focus on results for Utahns. Mike will champion term limits for Congress to introduce fresh perspectives and diminish career politicians' influence. Additionally, Mike plans to enforce stricter lobbying regulations to reduce the impact of foreign and special interests on policymaking. Dedicated to restoring integrity and accountability, Mike will push for stronger ethics reforms on Congress and career bureaucrats.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 3 in 2024.

Image of Case Lawrence

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "Case is the Founder and former CEO of CircusTrix (now SkyZone). With over 300 facilities, 5,000 employees and 50 million annual guests, SkyZone is the largest owner, operator and franchisor of trampoline parks in the world. Case has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times and other publications as a pioneer in Active Entertainment, and a thought leader for the increasingly relevant "Experiential" segment of the consumer economy. In 2017, Case was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year; and in 2019, Case was named CEO of the Year by Utah Business. In addition to his work at SkyZone, Case teaches Entrepreneurship and Experience Design at the BYU Marriott School of Business; is a frequent speaker on leadership and entrepreneurship; and is a competitive Pickleball player. Case received a JD from Duke Law School and a BA in American Studies from BYU. Case and his wife, Kerri reside in Mapleton, Utah; they are the parents of 6 children (and now have 2 grandchildren). "


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Secure Our Southern Border! If elected, here is what I’ll do: First, I’ll lead the effort to reinstate the Trump policy of turning back migrants at our border. I’ll also push to reinstate the wait-in-Mexico policy for asylum seekers - instead of releasing them into American cities. Both of those changes will disincentivize migrants from starting the journey. Second, I will lead an effort to secure a common sense, comprehensive border security package that can pass both houses. Including border walls, high tech cameras, motion detectors and more border agents to identify persistent weak points and permanently seal them off.


Fiscal Responsibility! If elected, here’s what I’ll do: First, I will be a leading voice on the need to return to regular order. Where single issue bills are negotiated in public, refined in committee hearings, and focused on actually solving problems. Second, I will lead in congress by taking on our largest, unfunded liabilities. Including addressing the revenue shortfalls bankrupting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. We can keep our commitments to our seniors and still reimagine these programs for future generations. Finally, I will be willing to take the hard votes that need to be taken to protect America for future generations. I will reject the partisan games that maximize noise but minimize results. And I will focus


Economic Growth! If elected, I will make Economic Growth the Priority it ALWAYS should be. Immediate policy goals would include: 1) Unleash our Energy Sector by re-establishing domestic energy independence as a national goal. There is no greater correlation than that between a booming energy sector and a booming American economy. 2) Eliminate the Federal Gas and Diesel Tax to put money back in the pockets of American families as a direct counter to the worst inflation in 50 years under the Biden Administration. 3) We need to make the 2017 Small Business Tax Deduction Permanent (it is set to expire in 2025).

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Utah District 3 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Utah

Election information in Utah: June 25, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: June 25, 2024
  • By mail: Received by June 14, 2024
  • Online: June 14, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: N/A
  • By mail: N/A by N/A
  • Online: N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: June 25, 2024
  • By mail: Postmarked by June 24, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

June 11, 2024 to June 21, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (MST)


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
JR Bird Republican Party $1,246,161 $1,246,161 $0 As of September 11, 2024
John Dougall Republican Party $392,290 $387,850 $4,440 As of December 31, 2024
Mike Kennedy Republican Party $1,032,662 $907,460 $125,202 As of December 31, 2024
Case Lawrence Republican Party $3,128,654 $3,128,654 $0 As of September 11, 2024
Stewart O. Peay Republican Party $229,400 $201,948 $27,452 As of December 31, 2024

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_ut_congressional_district_03.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Utah.

Utah U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office Districts/
offices
Seats Open seats Candidates Possible primaries Contested Democratic primaries Contested Republican primaries % of contested primaries Incumbents in contested primaries % of incumbents in contested primaries
2024 4 4 1 13 8 0 3 37.5% 2 66.7%
2022 4 4 0 13 8 0 4 50.0% 4 100.0%
2020 4 4 1 15 8 1 2 37.5% 0 0.0%
2018 4 4 0 10 8 1 1 25.0% 1 25.0%
2016 4 4 0 10 8 0 2 25.0% 2 50.0%
2014 4 4 1 17 8 2 4 75.0% 3 100.0%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Utah in 2024. Information below was calculated on May 26, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Thirteen candidates ran for Utah’s four U.S. House districts, including three Democrats and 10 Republicans. That’s 3.25 candidates per district. There were 3.25 candidates per district in 2022, 3.75 candidates per district in 2020, and 2.5 in 2018.

The 3rd Congressional District was the only open district in Utah in 2024, tying with 2020 and 2014 for the most this decade.

Incumbent John Curtis (R-03) did not run for re-election because he ran for the U.S. Senate.

Six candidates—one Democrat and five Republicans—ran for the open 3rd Congressional District, the most candidates who ran for a seat in Utah in 2024.

Three primaries—all Republican—were contested in 2024. Four primaries were contested in 2022, three primaries were contested in 2020, and two were in 2018.

Two incumbents—Blake Moore (R-01) and Celeste Maloy (R-02)—were in contested primaries in Utah in 2024. That’s less than the four incumbents in contested primaries in 2022 but more than the zero incumbents in contested primaries in 2020.

The 2nd Congressional District was guaranteed to Republicans because no Democrats appeared on the ballot. Republicans filed to run in every congressional district, meaning none were guaranteed to Democrats.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+13. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 13 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Utah's 3rd the 106th most Republican district nationally.[4]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Utah's 3rd based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
38.3% 57.5%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.[5] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline Democratic Party Republican Baseline Republican Party Difference
28.7 64.1 R+35.5

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Utah, 2020

Utah presidential election results (1900-2020)

  • 7 Democratic wins
  • 24 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winning Party R R R R D R R R D D D D D R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
See also: Party control of Utah state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Utah's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Utah
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 0 0
Republican 2 4 6
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 4 6

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Utah's top three state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Utah, May 2024
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Spencer Cox
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Deidre Henderson
Attorney General Republican Party Sean D. Reyes

State legislature

Utah State Senate

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 6
     Republican Party 23
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 29

Utah House of Representatives

Party As of February 2024
     Democratic Party 14
     Republican Party 60
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 75

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Utah Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Thirty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Utah in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Utah, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Utah U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 7,000 $485.00 1/8/2024 Source
Utah U.S. House Unaffiliated 5% of registered voters in the district, or 300, whichever is less $485.00 6/18/2024 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Republican Party (6)