Three 4th District challengers lay out positions in Tribune voter guide

First-term Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kennedy faces three challengers in Utah's new 4th Congressional District, and all but Kennedy answered The Salt Lake Tribune's voter guide questionnaire, the newspaper reported. Kennedy, a doctor and lawyer who served a decade in the Legislature, won two-thirds of the vote in 2024 in what is now the 3rd District. ^[1]

The challengers are Democrat Jonny Larsen, a Marine Corps combat veteran who calls himself a Blue Dog Democrat; Libertarian Taylor Wright, a high school teacher; and attorney Steven Burt, an unaffiliated candidate who worked for solar energy companies. ^[1]

On affordability, Larsen and Burt both named ending the war in Iran as a top priority, and Burt called for reining in tariffs. Wright called for ending tariffs, cutting taxes and loosening zoning. On water, Larsen backed federal help for farmers to convert to efficient irrigation, Burt called for a new plan as the Central Utah Project winds down, and Wright favored water markets. ^[1]

Larsen and Burt said they oppose Amendment B, which would require 60% approval for tax-raising citizen initiatives, while Wright supports it, the Tribune reported. Election Day is Nov. 3. ^[1] The Lieutenant Governor's certification lists the same four candidates, Kennedy (Republican), Larsen (Democratic), Wright (Libertarian) and Burt (Unaffiliated), for the 4th District, and gives the ballot wording for Amendment B as whether citizen-proposed laws that increase taxes must be approved by at least 60% of voters instead of a simple majority. ^[2]