Two Democratic legislative incumbents failed to collect enough signatures to secure a spot on the June primary ballot, which means their fate will be decided at the Salt Lake County Democratic convention on Saturday.
Candidates can advance to the primary by gathering signatures or by winning at least 45% support from delegates at the convention.
Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, came up 10 signatures short of the 1,000 he needed, while Wendy Davis, who is challenging Stoddard for the Democratic nomination in House District 40, already secured a spot in the primary via signatures. Stoddard can still reach the primary by winning at least 45% support from party delegates on Saturday. If Davis clears 55% in the delegate vote, she takes the nomination, and Stoddard is done.
4 days - Deadline for Republican and Democratic candidates for Congress to submit signatures to qualify for the primary ballot (4/10/2026)
5 days - Utah Forward Party nominating convention (4/11/2026)
19 days - Utah State Republican and Democratic State Party nominating conventions (4/25/2026)
78 days - Utah's 2026 primary election (6/23/2026)
211 days - 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026)
946 days - 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028)
The winner of the nomination will face Forward Party nominee John Jackson in November. No Republican filed. There is no Republican in the race. Stoddard won each of the last two elections by at least 16 points.
Davis nearly knocked off Republican Steve Eliason in 2020, losing by just 77 votes.
Democratic Rep. John Arthur, D-Holladay, won a 2025 special election to replace former Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion after she became Cottonwood Heights mayor. He initially filed to collect signatures in his bid for a full term but didn’t turn any in, according to the state website. His opponent for the Democratic nomination, Stephen Miller, also filed to collect signatures. He didn’t submit any either.
If either Arthur or Miller gets 55% support at Saturday’s convention, they will wrap up the nomination for the heavily Democratic seat—Democrats won it in 2022 and 2024 by at least 26 percentage points.
In the Senate District 13 race for the party nomination to replace Sen. Nate Blouin, who is running for Congress, all four Democrats signed up to collect signatures, but only Silvia Catten and Taylor Paden submitted the 2,000 needed to make the primary. Richard Whitney and Evan Done now need at least 45% from delegates to avoid elimination and join Catten and Paden on the primary ballot.
Incumbent Sen. Stephanie Pitcher and her Democratic challenger, Tayler Khater, both submitted enough signatures to advance to the primary election, so Saturday’s vote is basically a straw poll. The winner of the primary will be unopposed on the ballot in November.
All five Democrats seeking the nomination to replace Rep. Sandra Hollins, who is not running for another term, in House District 21 filed to collect signatures. None of them came close to the 1,000 they needed, so they all will be hoping to get at least 45% of the vote on Saturday to advance to a primary. The winner of the nomination will be unopposed in November because no Republicans filed.
In House District 39, only Democrat Sarah Brough filed to collect signatures, while Drew Howells and Kevin Seal are taking the convention-only path in the race for the party nomination. Brough fell short, so delegates decide his fate on Saturday.
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