Utah's 4th Congressional District candidates faced off Thursday night over rising costs, public lands, and the federal government's role in addressing the state's challenges.
A question about rising gas prices opened the congressional debate at Snow College. But rather than focusing on prices at the pump, the candidates quickly found themselves arguing over the war in Iran.
Republican incumbent Mike Kennedy defended the Trump administration's military actions, arguing that Iran poses a threat to global security.
“If this despotic regime were to get nuclear weapons, it would not only be a threat to the United States of America but to the whole world," he said. "And so I support President Trump as he seeks to bring safety not only to the American people but also to the world.”
Kennedy also pointed to legislation he sponsored aimed at lowering fuel costs by easing oil and gas development.
His Democratic challenger, Jonny Larsen, argued that ending the war would provide more immediate relief. The Marine combat veteran also criticized Kennedy's votes against congressional efforts to limit the president's military authority.
“Congress's duty, Article 1, Section 8, gives [Congress] the power to declare war," Larsen said. "My opponent gave that constitutional duty up.”
Kennedy responded with an accusation.
“Right now, Iran is playing with our politics, and they actually want people like my opponent to win this race, so that they can actually be empowered to continue to threaten America as well as the world.”
He did not offer evidence to support those claims.
The discussion of affordability continued with housing. A Snow College student asked what federal policies could actually lower home prices for young Utahns, rather than simply helping them afford increasingly expensive homes — an approach Utah lawmakers have pursued through financial assistance programs for first-time buyers.
Larsen focused on the cost of building new homes.
“To make our homes more affordable, we need to stop these egregious tariffs that we have placed on every other country," he said. "They do not help the situation at all.”
Kennedy, on the other hand, pointed to federal tax cuts and legislation aimed at restricting large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. He also argued that some federal land near existing communities could be used to address Utah's housing shortage.
“One of the problems is that we have two-thirds of our land locked up in the federal government," Kennedy said. "We can't do anything with it. That naturally raises the costs associated with housing.”
Larsen, however, had concerns about federal land being sold or transferred. He cited environmental protection and water supplies.
“Our public lands must remain in public hands," he said. "We leave them alone for many reasons. Our ecosystem requires that.”
The candidates also fielded questions about health care, water management, energy development, and immigration.
Voters will decide the race in the Nov. 3 election.
