The former presidential candidate called state Sen. Nate Blouin, one of six Democratic candidates, a “fighter.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a rally at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Several months ago, Democratic state Sen. Nate Blouin rallied up an audience of thousands as they waited to hear from former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The U.S. senator from Vermont spoke to Utahns again Friday — specifically those living in Utah’s new Democratic-majority congressional district: Send Blouin to Washington.
“We need members of Congress who have the guts to demand that the billionaire class start paying their fair share of taxes,” Sanders said in a statement from Blouin’s campaign announcing the endorsement.
“State Senator Nate Blouin is that fighter,” he continued. “He stands with working Americans, not the corporate interests and oligarchs who have far too much power. Nate’s values and courage make him the clear choice in this race.”
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Salt Lake City, asks a question during a special session of the Legislature on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
Blouin joined an already-crowded field of candidates vying to represent Utah’s new 1st Congressional District — which covers the northern end of Salt Lake County — last week. It is the first district in Utah to be competitive or favor Democrats in decades.
A first-term state senator, Blouin represents South Salt Lake and parts of Millcreek, Murray and West Valley City. That district is also up for election next year, so Blouin will give up his Senate seat for the congressional bid.
Outside of the Capitol, Blouin is a communications consultant for environmental nonprofits advocating for renewable energy.
The new congressional boundaries were implemented after a series of decisions by the Utah Supreme Court and 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson in a lawsuit alleging the Utah Legislature did not comply with an independent redistricting law voters approved in 2018. Lawmakers have said they plan to appeal Gibson’s recent ruling that put the map in place.
“I’m honored to receive Sen. Sanders’ endorsement in my campaign for Utah’s 1st District,” Blouin said in a news release. “Utah has a real opportunity to help restore balance in Washington D.C., and voters here now have a clear choice between the status quo and a new path that meets the moment.”
So far, five other Democrats are competing for the seat. They include Ben McAdams, the last Democrat to represent Utah in Washington; Kathleen Riebe, another state senator and former congressional candidate; Derek Kitchen, a former state senator and Salt Lake City council member who successfully sued to legalize gay marriage in Utah; and activists Kye Hinckley and Luis Villarreal.
One of the most progressive members of Congress, Sanders stopped in Salt Lake City in April as he toured the country pushing back against President Donald Trump’s policy agenda — or as the U.S. senator titled it, “Fighting Oligarchy.”
Among Utah Democrats, Sanders has historically seen broad support.
When he ran for president in 2016, he easily won Utah’s Democratic caucus over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton with nearly 80% of the vote. In 2020, Sanders beat President Joe Biden in the Utah primary with double the backing — 36% to 18%.
“I waited hours to caucus for Bernie Sanders because he offered a bold, hopeful vision that put ordinary Americans first and challenged a system built for billionaires and powerful interests,” Blouin said. “He continues to be a national voice for working people in the face of an oligarch class that has steered our government way off course.”