Super PAC cash is flooding Utah’s airwaves ahead of the June 23 primary. In the Democratic 1st Congressional District race, a fresh $1 million ad buy backs Ben McAdams, with another wave from a tech-funded group queued up for next week. In the 2nd District, new ad buys prop up Rep. Blake Moore while taking swings at Karianne Lisonbee.
CD 1
Total outside spending: $1,549,746 (as of June 9, 2026)
- $1,549,746 supporting Ben McAdams
A super PAC that works to elect moderate Democrats to Congress dropped more than $1 million on ads to boost Ben McAdams in Utah’s 1st Congressional District primary.
The New Democrat Majority PAC, the political arm of the New Democrat Coalition, reported $1,025,000 in independent expenditures on Tuesday for McAdams ads. Punchbowl News first flagged the buy last week.
It won’t be the only big ad spend in the race. Axios’s Andrew Solender reports that Think Big PAC, a tech-aligned group funded in part by OpenAI, Palantir and Andreessen Horowitz, will launch a $450,000 pro-McAdams buy next week, nearly matching McAdams’s own ad spending this cycle.
Think Big PAC instantly becomes the third largest spender in #UT01 with this ad buy, per @AdImpact_Pol, nearly eclipsing McAdams' own campaign. https://t.co/lDp878p5e7 pic.twitter.com/oRJHta5Dh0
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) June 9, 2026
CD 2
Total outside spending: $218,938 (as of June 9, 2026)
- $104,832 supporting Blake Moore
- $109,106 opposing Blake Moore
- $5,000 opposing Kariane Lisonbee
Defending Utah Values, a super PAC led by Owen Fuller, a political ally of Gov. Spencer Cox, reported $10,000 in new spending: $5,000 to support Moore and $5,000 to oppose challenger Karianne Lisonbee.
CD3
Total outside spending: $1,150,943 (as of June 9, 2026)
- $1,130,943 supporting Celeste Maloy
- $20,000 opposing Phil Lyman
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