Candidate, U.S. House, District 2 · Independent American
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Portrait via bowenforcongress.com. Photo: bowenforcongress.com campaign website (photographer uncredited) · Copyright retained by rights holder · bowenforcongress.com campaign website
Portrait via bowenforcongress.com. Photo: bowenforcongress.com campaign website (photographer uncredited) · Copyright retained by rights holder · bowenforcongress.com campaign website
Politically neutral. Every candidate on this ballot gets the same sections. The party shown is the one the ballot lists. A section is missing only where we haven't yet found an official source for it. How we stay neutral
Carlton E. Bowen is a candidate for U.S. House, District 2. The ballot lists Carlton E. Bowen, Independent American. The district covers all or part of Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Rich and Weber counties.
Carlton E. Bowen is an Air Force veteran who, according to his campaign biography, earned recognition in the intelligence field. He then worked in information technology and program management, with executive, technical and systems experience, and graduated cum laude from Weber State University. The biography does not give service years, employers or a degree. [1]
The campaign says he was elected to the American Fork City Council, where he focused on fiscal discipline and constitutional limits, without giving term dates. The Salt Lake Tribune describes him as a former council member. [1] [3]
Independent American Party role and 2024 Senate race
Bowen is state chair of the Independent American Party of Utah. His campaign says he was the party's 2024 U.S. Senate candidate, received 83,972 votes statewide and joined a three-way Utah Debate Commission debate with the Republican and Democratic nominees. The vote total is the campaign's figure. [1]
Campaign priorities and what he told voters
His campaign site says every vote should begin with the question of constitutional authority, calls the national debt a verdict on the two-party system, and lists national security, fiscal discipline and strengthening families among its themes. He opposes the proposed Box Elder data center and has raised questions about its water use and purpose. [2]
In the Tribune's October 12 questionnaire, Bowen blamed federal spending for inflation and interest rates, said Utah should vigorously defend its Colorado River Compact water allocations and opposed raising the debt limit. He said he would vote against Constitutional Amendment A and for Constitutional Amendment B. These are campaign statements, not votes. [3]
The 2nd District contest
Utah's 2nd Congressional District covers much of northern Utah. The Tribune lists Republican Rep. Blake Moore, Democrat Peter Crosby, Libertarian Daniel Cottam, unaffiliated candidate Robert Moesinger and Bowen on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. The state's certification and the FEC candidate list are the official sources for the field. [3] [4] [5]
In the candidate's own words
According to his campaign website, as cited by the Tribune, Carlton Bowen is a U.S. Air Force veteran and former American Fork City Council member. In the survey Bowen points to the Box Elder data center approval and state auditor findings that some MIDA board members receive large payments from contracts they approved. [6]
Bowen blames federal spending and inflation for rising costs and pledges to oppose debt-limit increases and deficit spending. On water Bowen cites the beneficial use test for water rights, questions the Box Elder data center's water plans and wants Colorado River Compact allocations defended. Bowen names the national debt as the other priority, opposes Amendment A and supports Amendment B. [6]
These are the candidate's own survey answers as printed by the Tribune, not checked by The Utah Ledger. [6]
Profile sources
Profile refreshed October 30, 2026. Candidate statements describe the candidate's own experience or positions; official records and reporting are labeled separately.
I oppose the Box Elder data center because of the dishonesty surrounding its MIDA approval, its size, which is bigger than the city of Boston, the lack of transparency on how much water it will use (power generation alone for 9GW will take billions of gallons, which they don't tell you), and because I think the data center will be used to erode our liberty. I'm also opposed to increasing our national debt. I am for a strong national defense to protect our country. We aren't the world's policeman and we should avoid unnecessary foreign wars and entanglements. We need to recognize that we have corruption in Utah. Some MIDA board members, according to the Utah Auditor's office, are personally receiving $25,000 or more a month from contracts they approved with their own business interests. And the corruption goes all the way to the top. Cox appointed MIDA and brought the Box Elder data center to them for approval. Remember the data center is still approved at its original 40,000 acre size. Let's change that by undoing the approval. I am committed to doing that. Send someone they don't own, and let's clean up Utah!
With a recent poll showing a five-point gap, Democratic challenger Peter Crosby said Republican Rep. Blake Moore is content with the status quo, and Moore pointed to his legislative record.
