Republican Congressman John Curtis and Democrat Caroline Gleich will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot as candidates for Utah’s seat in the United States Senate.
Sen. Mitt Romney announced that he would not be seeking re-election in September 2023, opening the seat up for the first time in five years. Both Curtis and Gleich have spoken on an array of issues leading up to election day and highlighted differences in their initiatives.
John Curtis
Currently, Curtis represents Utah’s 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives. He began his service in 2017. Before his time in Congress, Curtis designed and built shooting ranges for law enforcement training.
According to his website, Curtis is focused on energy independence, fighting reckless spending, defending Utah’s land from federal government and more in his run for Senate.
Higher Education
In an email statement, Curtis explained that he believes decisions surrounding education should be made locally. He also said that those decisions should not be left to federal bureaucrats.
“Empowering states and communities to develop their own curriculum and hire top teachers ensures that education is tailored to the needs of local students,” Curtis wrote.
He also noted that the higher education system should adapt to provide “real value” to students. Curtis suggested that linking federal funding to universities and outcomes after graduation would encourage healthy competition between institutions and better opportunities for students.
These issues hit close to home for Curtis.
“As a University of Utah alumnus, I appreciate the many talented and qualified individuals who make it one of the finest institutions for higher education in the country,” Curtis wrote.
Housing and Affordability
During the 2024 Utah Senate Debate, Curtis proposed several solutions to combat the increasing cost of living in Utah. He mentioned two initiatives he believes will help lower the cost.
The first initiative Curtis pointed to was the Home Ownersip, Mortgage and Equity Savings (HOMES) Act, which he introduced in early October. This act would allow those with a self-directed IRA account to use the account’s funds to purchase a primary residence for themselves or an immediate family member.
Curtis also expressed his support for the Helping Open Underutilized Space to Ensure Shelter (HOUSES) Act, which authorizes the sale of federal land to state and local government for projects to provide housing. When the bill language says federal land, it specifically refers to BLM land, and excludes lands with designations such as monuments, wilderness areas or national recreation areas.
Federal Land Use
In addition to his support of the HOUSES Act, Curtis expressed his confidence in the Emery County Public Land Management Act, a bill he proposed in 2018. This bill permits the use of some protected land for commercial services as long as the use supports recreation, allows existing livestock grazing to continue and allows people to collect sediment and other materials for personal use. The act appoints the Department of the Interior to oversee these areas.
According to his website, Curtis will continue to protect Utah land from “outside intrusion and federal overreach” if elected.
Reproductive Rights
During the debate, Curtis stated that he is firmly pro-life. He emphasized that his stance includes supporting the well-being of both the mother and the baby after birth. He believes that decisions on how and when to support either of them should be made at the state level.
“Let’s be honest, Republicans tend to talk about the babies incessantly, and Democrats as a stereotype, tend to talk about the mothers incessantly,” Curtis said. “Both of those are important, we’ve got to find the common ground between those.”
According to a press release on his website after the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Curtis said, “I am proud to witness today’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of human life. I welcome the overturning of Roe v. Wade and appreciate that state policymakers can now enact laws that align with their values.”
More on Curtis
Curtis’ campaign website also clarifies his stances on immigration at the southern border, energy, the U.S.-China relationship and policy, cryptocurrency and more.
Information on Curtis’ time in Congress, his initiatives and press releases can be found here.
Caroline Gleich
According to her campaign website, Gleich has fought to protect the environment by testifying before committees in the House and Senate on the climate crisis and on natural resources. She has worked with Protect Our Winters for over 15 years to raise awareness on the climate crisis, met with multiple elected officials and more. The climate crisis proves to be one of her largest initiatives.
Gleich said she believes her candidacy serves as a unique opportunity for Utahns to send a new kind of leader to the U.S. Senate.
“At 38 years old, I am the average age of America, and I am more in touch with the issues that young people are facing today,” Gleich said. “The average age of the U.S. Senate is 65, and with all due respect to the older generation, we know that the best policies come from when we have people from different backgrounds and different experiences represented.”
Higher Education
Gleich said that higher education should be affordable and accessible to anyone seeking it. She suggested addressing “predatory lending practices” from banks that put those who can’t afford higher education up front in enormous amounts of student debt.
Additionally, Gleich said she supports efforts by the Biden administration to relieve student debt. She also supports continued funding for federal grants towards college or career trade schools.
Gleich also spoke on the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) since the passage of H.B. 261. She believes the effects of H.B. 261 have impacted the quality of education that students are receiving in Utah.
“Diversity is what makes our country and our state great, I frankly am just appalled by the setbacks,” Gleich said. “Utah deserves a senator that will take our state forward, not backwards.”
Housing and Affordability
According to her website, Gleich supports federal efforts to bring down the price of housing. These include incentives to support first-time home-buyers, establishing a federal commission to study housing issues, creating federal tax incentives to support accessory dwelling units and more.
During the 2024 Utah Senate Debate, Gleich explained that she plans to decrease the cost of living in Utah by raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour.
“I don’t know about you, but I could not get out of the grocery store for less than $50, and if you’re getting paid minimum wage that’s a full day’s work,” Gleich said.
Gleich also plans to support labor unions advocating for better working conditions. She also wants to fight corporate greed, curb corporate price-gouging, strengthen supply chains and invest in the middle class if elected into office.
Federal Land Use
During the debate, Gleich described Utah’s public lands as “national treasures.” She intends to protect them by ensuring that public lands remain in the hands of the federal government as opposed to the state.
“We need a champion in the U.S. Senate who will work on the Budget and Appropriations Committee[s] to get our public lands the federal funding they deserve,” Gleich said.
If elected, Gleich will work to balance public access and land preservation. She said she’ll ensure local governments have the necessary resources to manage tourism and recreation and to keep public lands safe from harmful resource extraction.
Reproductive Rights
Gleich believes that “decisions about if, when and how to start a family should be left to women, their families and their doctors.”
During the debate, Gleich brought up some of the unintended effects of the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. She noted that some of these effects impact her personally.
“We have also seen [these impacts] spread into attacks on IVF. For my husband Rob and I, IVF may be the only way that we can start a family in the future,” Gleich said. “It’s long past time that we end this egregious government overreach into our most personal and intimate decisions. Utah deserves a U.S. senator that trusts families [to make] the best decisions for themselves free from government intervention.”
Gleich intends to “fiercely defend” reproductive freedom, including codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and protecting access to contraception.
More on Gleich
Gleich’s campaign website contains information on her stance’s on a multitude of other issues including the economy, jobs, child care, supporting caregivers, healthcare, mental health, veterans, foreign policy, the climate crisis, clean energy and more.
