REPLACING:

John Curtis (R)^[i]

WORK HISTORY:

Utah State Senate (Senator, UT-21/14); Utah House of Representatives (Member, UT-27); United Way of Utah County (Doctor); Premier Family Medical Lindon (Family Practice Physician); Bennett Tueller Johnson & Deere LLC (Of Counsel); Parkway Health Center (Doctor); MyMichigan Medical Center Midland (Resident); MyMichigan Medical Center Midland (Intern); Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Missionary)[ii]

EDUCATION:

JD, Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School; MD, Michigan State University; BS, Brigham Young University; Diploma, Ypsilanti High School[iii] [iv]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Boosting Economic Growth for Families and Businesses; Ensuring Border Security and Improving Legal Immigration; Putting Utah Ahead of Special Interests; Reducing Federal Overreach and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility; Safeguarding Freedom, Life, and Utah’s Public Lands; Achieving American Energy Independence and Dominance; Healthcare Reform that Prioritizes Patients; Restoring Educational Control to States and Local Communities[v]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Kennedy has touted having a “100% pro-life voting record” while serving in the Utah state legislature. In 2018, Kennedy voted against legislation addressing abortions, including HB205, which prohibited abortions based on an unborn child being diagnosed with Down Syndrome.[vi] [vii] Kennedy also voted for the abortion restriction law HB 467, which restricts licensing for abortion clinics and limits access to abortions except in cases of life-threatening conditions. The bill also restricted abortions for rape and incest survivors up to 18 weeks of pregnancy.[viii]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Kennedy supports the completion of the southern border wall and investments in the “latest surveillance tech” to protect the border. He vows to equip border patrol and law enforcement with technology, personnel, and funding to secure the border. Kennedy also pledges to “streamline the legal immigration process for law-abiding individuals.”[ix]

ECONOMY & JOBS:

Kennedy aims to foster economic growth through energy independence. He has committed to reducing “rules that choke innovation and growth,” touting that he supported “pioneering sandbox legislation” while serving in the Utah state legislature to help startup businesses “navigate regulatory hurdles more easily.”[x]

TAXES:

Kennedy plans to counter inflation through “sensible tax policies.” He touts implementing “significant tax cuts” while serving in the Utah state legislature and championing lower taxes to “ensure the tax code is fair and straight forward.”[xi]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

While serving in the Utah state legislature, Kennedy sponsored several bills addressing criminal justice. In March 2024, three state bills that Kennedy introduced were signed into law, including a repeal of criminal defamation, reductions in restitution fees for eligible individuals, and increased penalties for aggravated assault, including assaults that cause serious bodily injuries to law enforcement officers. [xii] [xiii] [xiv]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

On his campaign website, Kennedy advocates for energy independence and eliminating foreign oil dependence. He pledges to expand domestic fossil fuel production, drive down energy costs, replenish energy reserves to expand federal land leases for energy production, and create jobs within the energy sector. Additionally, Kennedy plans to remove “unnecessary regulatory barriers and government picking winners and losers” to leverage free market principles that promote renewable energy.[xv]

FOREIGN POLICY:

While endorsing Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, Kennedy called for “divisive leadership in global conflicts.”[xvi] He has voiced support for Israel and its right to “prosecute this war to its fullest extent for its very existence” while vowing to provide the country with “every resource necessary.” Kennedy argued that the Biden administration was “weak and powerless” regarding global conflicts, including the administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has also stated support for Ukraine but argued that the United States should not fund every conflict. Kennedy suggests aiding Ukraine with U.S. technology through loan or for sale and advocates for the U.S. to seize Russian assets.

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

A family practice physician, Kennedy has advocated for the expansion of healthcare spending accounts, transparency in healthcare pricing to lower costs, boosting telehealth services for underserved areas, protecting patients’ privacy by ensuring protections against data breaches, and lowering prescription drug costs.[xvii] In a May 2024 interview, Kennedy argued that there are systems within Medicare and Medicaid that are “either redundant or unnecessary that are costing our taxpayers billions of dollars." He argued for reduced incentives for “states to grow Medicaid rolls” and increased federal block grants.[xviii]

DEMOCRACY:

Kennedy has committed to passing term limits to “foster fresh perspectives” and curtail “career politicians[‘s]” special interest, alongside tighter lobbying regulations specifically for lobbyists “representing foreign and special interests.” Kennedy supports ethics reforms within Congress, including a mandatory “cooling-off period” for legislators before transitioning into lobbying roles and transparency in stock trading.[xix]

SOCIAL ISSUES:

In January 2023, Utah’s governor signed a bill introduced by Kennedy that banned gender-affirming care and paused hormonal treatment for minors. The bill mandated a review of related medical evidence for future policies, imposed credential requirements for providers of transgender treatment, and increased patients’ rights to sue providers for malpractice.[xx]