Copyright Salt Lake Tribune
State Sen. Kathleen Riebe, with new congressional maps in place, is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives centered around the northern portion of Salt Lake County. “As a teacher, as a mom, I can tell you that people’s lives are not getting any easier. They’re getting increasingly difficult,” Riebe said in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune. “When I look at other candidates … or the Congresspeople, I recognize that they’re not people that go to work every day. They’re not people that are trying to put food on the table, that are showing up for a job,” she said. “Those values aren’t being represented. So I’ve decided to run. And I’ve always decided to run to protect kids and schools and families, because I recognize that it’s not an easy world to live in and it’s getting increasingly difficult.” Riebe is an educator who helps train rural teachers and is a two-term state senator. In 2023, she was the Democratic nominee in a special election to replace former Rep. Chris Stewart. She lost to Republican nominee Celeste Maloy 57%-33%. Now, with a new congressional map chosen by 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson, Riebe sees an opportunity to give voters a choice. “People need to see that there needs to be a change,” she said. “We have tariffs that are not helping. We have sweeping bills [and] executive orders that haven’t been well thought out.” “I mean, we knocked down part of the White House for crying out loud,” she said, “and not many people are that excited about that either. So I think we have a responsibility to listen to people and act accordingly.” Riebe will have at least one opponent for the Democratic nomination. Last week, former Congressman Ben McAdams sent an invitation to supporters to a campaign kickoff scheduled for Thursday. The new Salt Lake County district favors Democrats by about 17 points, the first time in a quarter century they have had an advantage in any congressional race. The other three districts overwhelmingly lean toward Republicans. Riebe said she is not concerned about squaring off against McAdams. “We’re very different people,” she said. “I think that I am somebody who is definitely more comfortable speaking up and being against things and being the lone vote no. And I think that we just need a change. We are going backwards, and I don’t think that’s any place anybody wants to go.” Riebe said her campaign will take money from unions, but she will not accept donations from corporate political action committees and believes campaign finance reform is needed. “If that means I’m going to raise less money, so be it,” she told The Tribune. “I’d rather go out knowing I was working for the people instead of corporations.” Born in Long Island, N.Y., Riebe said she moved to Utah 34 years ago to spend a year skiing and has stayed since. She’s worked as a police dispatcher, drove dump trucks, spent a year as a wildland firefighter in Washington state and worked in an outdoor education program in Georgia. “A lot of people have lived in a bubble,” she said, “and I’ve lived in many different bubbles. That gives me a very interesting perspective on situations.”
