A leading Democratic contender for Utah’s new U.S. House seat is apologizing for a series of demeaning and derogatory posts about women and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Reddit and online skiing and running forums.

In the string of posts, written between 2009 and 2015, state Sen. Nate Blouin mocks domestic violence, sexual battery and people with disabilities; makes light of child sexual exploitation; and ridicules members of the state’s predominant faith.

The posts were first reported Wednesday morning by Punchbowl News, a political news outlet based in Washington, D.C.

In a statement posted on social media, Blouin, 36, acknowledged the authenticity of the posts and apologized for their content.

“There’s no excuse for these posts — they’re vulgar, stupid, and reflect a version of me in my early twenties that I’m ashamed of and have thankfully evolved past,” Blouin said. “I won’t minimize what I wrote, and I believe every candidate forced to look at their old online activity should take full accountability for the person they once were behind their computer screen. To the people I hurt with my words, I sincerely apologize.”

Blouin’s campaign acknowledged the authenticity of the posts, which appeared on Reddit; an outdoor sports site called Teton Gravity Research; LetsRun.com, a track forum; and Newschoolers.com, a ski forum.

Examples of his posts, according to Punchbowl News, include:

• Suggesting in a skiing forum that someone buy a GoPro camera “for filming porn with your underage sister.”

• Frequently used derogatory slurs for people with disabilities and a term referencing committing violent sexual acts.

• Referred to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as “a bunch of bigoted a-------” and said they are the worst part of living in Utah. He also called the church “just a front for the largest US drug cartel.”

• Said a church missionary visiting his home had seen pornographic images he was viewing.

• Boasted that he “took a sh-- in the corner of an LDS church parking lot.”

• When a Brigham Young University student was charged with sexual battery, Blouin posted on a running forum, “good ol’ mormon kid. had to let out the pent up sexual frustration somehow” and that people are “too damn sensitive” and that “slapping girl’s a----- as you run by … shouldn’t land you in jail or anything by any means.”

In apologizing for the posts, Blouin said that, when a reporter sent him the posts, he was “horrified to see my use of language toward women and about a faith that my family, friends, and millions of Utahns practice.”

He said he has spent the past decade “to become someone worth trusting” and fighting for working families, health care and the people’s dignity and will continue working toward those ends.

‘Beyond unacceptable’

Blouin is one of six Democrats vying for the party’s nomination in the Salt Lake County district and, according to a poll released by his campaign, is second in the field behind former U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams. He has been a state senator since 2023 and a vocal critic of his Republican colleagues, whom he has frequently engaged in social media feuds.

In a statement Wednesday, all five of Blouin’s Democratic Utah Senate colleagues joined House Democratic leaders in condemning his posts.

“These comments are beyond unacceptable,” the minority party members wrote. “We condemn them and any attempt to minimize their impact. There are no excuses for so-called jokes that target people’s identity or beliefs, or that make light of or appear to endorse sexual assault.”

“These statements are offensive and personally hurtful to us and to the people we represent,” the statement reads. “We condemn this behavior from any elected official. ... There is no room in public service for language that demeans, excuses, or trivializes harm.”

The McAdams campaign and the Utah Democratic Party declined to comment on the posts. Others in the race condemned Blouin’s statements, with two — Salt Lake City Council member Eva Lopez Chavez and Michael Farrell — saying he should drop out.

Lopez Chavez said the comments showed poor judgment, “particularly on issues impacting women’s physical safety and the reality of sexual violence,” and he should withdraw from the race.

“Our communities deserve leaders who take these issues seriously — not just in rhetoric, but in conduct,” she said. “We cannot excuse behavior — past or present — that trivializes or undermines the seriousness of sexual violence, assault, and harassment.”

“At a time when public trust in leadership is fragile, accountability is not optional,” Lopez Chavez said. “Immaturity is not an excuse — it is a liability.”

Farrell said the messaging “reflects that Nate is immature and ignorant,” and scoffed at Blouin attempting to dismiss the posts as a youthful lapse of judgment — noting they were made fairly recently.

“It’s all well and fine to apologize for saying these things, but Nate is obviously not fit to serve in elected office,” Farrell said. The post about filming an underage sister should be “disqualifying from holding public office” and voters should be “removing the Epstein class from politics, not electing folks like Nate Blouin,” a reference to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I hope that Nate drops out of the race and that all the individuals and groups that have endorsed him, national and otherwise, pull their endorsements,” Farrell added.

Two candidates — Luis Villareal and Liban Mohamed — who are still in their 20s, like Blouin was when the posts were made, said age isn’t an excuse for his comments.

Mohamed said the posts “reflect a profound failure of judgment and character” and are a pattern of public rhetoric through the years that “is disturbing and unacceptable.”

“We should expect better than this,” Mohamed said. “Progressives must lead with dignity, not the kind of character Nate has shown.”

Villareal called the comments “pretty gross” but believes Blouin has changed and has good political views. “But he’s long been known as a bomb-thrower and constantly getting into feuds over Twitter and that has always been my biggest criticism of him, so I wonder how much he’s really matured,” he said.

“I was appalled to learn of the past social media statements and actions of Sen. Nate Blouin. I appreciate his apology and hope it reflects genuine growth. However, even with that acknowledgment, I do not believe he should continue to serve in public office or seek election to Congress. Public service requires judgment and conduct that meet a high standard, and in my view, his past actions fall short of that expectation.”

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, one of Utah’s most prominent Democrats, said in a statement that she was “appalled to learn of” Blouin’s past post.

Wilson said she appreciated the Democrat’s apology, but added: “However, even with that acknowledgment, I do not believe he should continue to serve in public office or seek election to Congress. Public service requires judgment and conduct that meet a high standard, and in my view, his past actions fall short of that expectation.”

‘It’s up to Utahns’

Shortly after entering the race, he captured the endorsement of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

The revelation of his past posts comes just weeks before state Democrats’ April 25 nominating convention, although both Blouin and McAdams have gathered enough signatures to qualify for the June primary, regardless the convention outcome.

Blouin’s campaign provided statements from two of his supporters — state Rep. Sahara Hayes and Salt Lake County Council member Natalie Pinkney — praising Blouin for taking responsibility for the “shameful” and “hurtful” comments.

“It’s up to Utahns whether they want to judge their candidates based on online comments made 17 years ago, or on their current character and positions on health care, housing, reproductive rights, and more,” Hayes said. “The Nate of today has proven himself to be a tireless advocate for his constituents, and that is who I am supporting. ”

Pinkney said that Blouin’s acceptance of accountability and his apology “tell you everything about how much he has grown.”

“I know who Nate is today,” Pinkney added, “and he is someone who will fight without compromise for our reproductive rights when so many others are hedging.”