This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Though the field is much more congested on the Republican side, three Democrats also are elbowing their way into the race for GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz's soon-to-be-vacated congressional seat.
In the heavily red 3rd Congressional District, the opposing-party candidates face a tough challenge. And it's likely that only one will move forward in the race coming out of Saturday's Democratic convention.
Delegates will parse through platforms that are alike when it comes to President Donald Trump and immigration, but that diverge slightly on health care.
To better explore the nuance of their policy positions, The Salt Lake Tribune conducted a survey of five questions among the contenders. Their responses are briefed below.
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Obamacare • Kathie Allen, a physician in Utah since the 1980s, launched her campaign largely because of the GOP-led plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. While she favors fixing the legislation rather than trashing it, her vision for change includes a taxpayer-funded system.
"I am for removing the profit motive from health care and insuring that everyone is covered at an affordable rate and in an efficient manner," she said.
While the other two Democrats — progressive activist Ben Frank and environmental lobbyist Carl Ingwell — agree with Allen that Obamacare could use fixing, they support a single-payer, "Medicare for all" system.
"Health care is a right and should never again become a luxury that only the rich can afford," Ingwell said.
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The president • The three Democrats vehemently disapprove of Trump.
Frank describes his level of support for the president as "minimal at best." He denounces Trump's proposed budget cuts for social programs. He disagrees with his efforts to roll back Obama administration environmental policies. And he condemns the president's plans for a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
Ingwell believes Trump's practices are "based on lies, misinformation and hatred."
"Every single executive order has been a disaster, at best," he said. "He has a Cabinet full of self-serving incompetence."
Allen, who also criticized Trump, said she'd be willing to work with the president only if he does "something good," such as reducing regulations on small businesses or supporting science research.
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Chaffetz • The competitors also unilaterally opposed how Chaffetz served in Congress. Each vowed to take a different approach if elected to the office.
Ingwell blasted Chaffetz for being too partisan.
Real solutions to the nation's problems, he said, "are achieved through listening to and working with people that see things differently."
Allen pointed to a common criticism of the congressman: that he didn't doggedly investigate the Trump administration during his tenure as chairman of the House Oversight Committee. She promised to stand up to the president "when his policies hurt the middle class."
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Russia • To respond to Russian cybermeddling on the U.S. election, the three Democrats encourage an independent investigation. Frank implied that one should focus on "possible collusion between the Trump campaign" and the foreign country.
For Ingwell, an important part of that probe would be to look into how Russia infiltrated the election. Undermining a vote, he said, "cannot be tolerated." Unless the United States counters the meddling with some kind of proactive effort, Allen said, doubts will remain about the "legitimacy of our elections."
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Immigration • The left-leaning contenders for Chaffetz's seat also likewise rebuked Trump's proposed travel ban. Allen's grandparents escaped genocide in their home country and fled to the United States for safety. She says those who arrive on American soil are already vetted sufficiently.
"Inherent in hatred of immigrants is disdain for those who are different from us," she said.
Frank suggested that the president's travel ban unfairly targets Muslims. And Ingwell proposed that "we need to open our hearts to those who suffer, regardless of where they come from."
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner