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SALT LAKE CITY — A Democratic congressional candidate who has criticized President Joe Biden and defended some participants of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot withdrew from the campaign this week, after winning the party's nomination on Saturday.
Brian Adams, who was running for Utah's 2nd District House seat, was the only Democrat in the race heading into the party's nominating convention on Saturday, but drew pushback from some in the party for his views on several issues that were seen as out of step with the party platform.
The Young Democrats of Utah called on delegates to reject Adams instead of running a candidate in the race for the seat currently held by Rep. Celeste Maloy, a Republican, citing Adams' public support of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., his anti-abortion stance and his defense of some Jan. 6 participants who have since been charged with crimes.
Adams won support from the party on Saturday, but only after he agreed to step down — a move which allows party leadership to nominate a new candidate in his place. Adams filed his withdrawal paperwork with the lieutenant governor's office on Monday.
He told KSL.com on Thursday his views are common sense, even among his fellow Democrats. When it comes to Jan. 6 participants who have since been criminally charged, he accused prosecutors of being politically motivated and said nonviolent participants have been "politically persecuted."
Adams said he doesn't believe the participants would have been charged if they had been Biden supporters.
Adams has criticized the Biden administration's handling of immigration policy. His website says current policy from some in the government "wants your tax dollars to pay for transportation, plane, food, hotel, health care" for migrants, while the other side "wants to pay for transportation, food, housing and plane to send them back out of the U.S."
The website said that "sounds pretty close to a free round-trip travel to the U.S. for illegal immigrants. This is pretty insane, especially when we are talking about illegal immigrants who have not been vetted in any way. We need the right to refuse particularly dangerous or hostile immigrants."
On abortion, he described himself as "pro-life" and proposed financial incentives for giving birth, which would be paid for by taxing abortion procedures.
The Utah Democratic Party on Thursday announced that its central committee members from the 2nd District will meet on May 25 to select a new nominee for the seat. Prospective candidates have until May 15 at 5 p.m. to file to run for the seat.
"We are very excited for the opportunity to elect a strong Democratic nominee in CD-2 and look forward to working with whoever the state central committee chooses to fill the vacancy," said Thom DeSirant, the party's executive director.
Maloy was forced into a Republican primary election against Colby Jenkins after narrowly avoiding being unseated at the GOP's nominating convention on Saturday. The winner of that race will face the Democratic candidate in November.
