Candidates highlight differences, similarities in 3rd Congressional District debate | News, Sports, Jobs

For the only time before Election Day in November, the two major party nominees for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District shared the stage. Incumbent Rep. John Curtis, the GOP nominee, was joined by challenger Glenn Wright on Thursday in Studio C of the BYU Broadcasting Building in Provo.

Wright, the Democratic nominee, is a member of the Summit County Council. He is also on the Mountainland Association of Governments Executive Council and served six years with the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam.

Curtis is the former mayor of Provo and was first elected to Congress in 2017 in a special election to replace Jason Chaffetz. He is now serving his second full term in Congress and gained recognition as the founder, and chair, of the Conservative Climate Caucus.

After redistricting from the 2020 census, the 3rd District now includes a smaller portion of Utah County — north of 400 South in Springville and east of Utah Lake — and the state’s eastern portion from Park City to Moab.

The debate was moderated by Natalie Gochnour, associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business and director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

Right off the bat, Gochnour asked Curtis about his personal political persuasions. He responded that he keeps an optimism of the future and for the country, while Wright responded that his work is colored by his time in Vietnam, becoming politically active in opposition to the Iraq War.

Wright quickly took aim at the broader GOP, highlighting the slate of “election deniers” running for Congress nationwide.

“If the Republican Party takes over the House, they’re going to be in control,” Wright said.

Curtis maintained a broader view of the state of politics in the country while reiterating that the 2020 presidential election was fair and accurate.

“I was actually one of the first Republicans to congratulate President (Joe) Biden on his victory,” he said.

Curtis added that he voted for the original commission investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol but questioned the current commission due to its lack of “opposition” voices.

Beyond the general state of politics, both candidates were given opportunities to discuss the economy. Repeatedly — whether addressing problems surrounding inflation, homeownership or oil prices — Curtis advocated for deregulation and limiting government spending.

When it came to oil prices, rising again after a production cut this week by OPEC, Curtis was direct.

“This didn’t have to happen and it was also very predictable,” he said.

Wright continued to push for federal programs that could address each issue by learning from individuals and locales that are ready thriving.

Discussing proposed student loan forgiveness, the two candidates split along their traditional party beliefs.

“What President Biden did was wrong on many, many levels,” Curtis said. He added that the students having their loans forgiven are “out buying TVs and microwaves” rather than paying off debt they agreed to.

Wright advocated for modifying the college loan program and making sure colleges are held responsible for the price of schooling.

“I do think that the debt forgiveness was a good thing,” Wright said. “I know of people who 10 years ago graduated with $25,000 worth of debt now with $80,000 worth of debt.” He added a jab to Curtis, saying the forgiveness can be afforded by repealing tax cuts for wealthy Americans passed into law by former President Donald Trump. He said the wealthy weren’t using their money for “televisions and microwaves” but for “yachts” and other luxury goods.

On climate, Curtis used a regular line — that he’s the “elephant in the room” — and believes the best way forward is by having conversations with Republicans “where they are” instead of trying to change minds. He hopes to see more conservatives work with him, and with Democrats, to find climate change solutions.

After the debate, he told the press “you can’t go to Carbon County without feeling the demonization of fossil fuels,” while adding that he was still able to win a majority of the county’s votes in the GOP primary after explaining his positions.

Wright praised Curtis’ work with the Conservative Climate Caucus while saying the government needs to do more, including larger investments in renewable energy and working toward a net-zero carbon future.

In terms of restrictions on abortion, Wright said he is OK with a line at “viability” while calling the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling, overturning Roe v. Wade, an “egregious” decision. He said he would vote to codify Roe if elected to office.

Curtis responded first by saying he is pro-life and supports the rights of the state to make decisions, rather than a federal allowance.

“If you’re a woman, this stinks,” Curtis said while mentioning the significant number of legislators nationwide who are men. “We’ve got to have a conversation around responsibility of men.”

After the debate, Wright joked to members of the media that Curtis saying women should be making the decisions surrounding abortion was a “slip of the tongue.” Though, Curtis restated his position to say that there should be more women on the courts and serving in elected office to make the decisions.

Wright also supported the pardons made Thursday by Biden for people arrested and charged for possession of marijuana. Curtis took aim at Wright’s assertion marijuana was a “victimless crime” by highlighting crime rates in states like Colorado, which has legalized recreational marijuana.

“What the president did, I would call, was an end run around Congress,” Curtis said.

When it came to the PACT Act, a law expanding veterans’ health benefits, Wright defended the law with reference to his time in Vietnam, mentioning his fellow service members who died due to effects from Agent Orange.

When asked by a BYU student about transgender girls participating in sports, Curtis said the issue was about fairness. “I do not want a man competing with them. Period,” he said.

Wright questioned the Utah Legislature’s tackling of the issue at all. “It came from a segment of our society that is afraid of the LGBTQ community. They found transgender folks as their latest whipping person,” he said.

When asked what the United States should do if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to use nuclear weapons, Curtis was direct — “Let’s make sure they don’t.” Wright agreed and said he supports keeping whatever the country whats to do a secret until a possible situation arises.

The pair also discussed immigration reform and potential U.S. involvement on the ground in Ukraine amid the country’s war with Russia.

Before the debate, a poll from the Utah Debate Commission showed Wright with 26.79% support compared to 51.39% for Curtis. When asked about the chance to win the election, Wright said he believes the abortion ruling could be a catalyst, “if there’s enough mad women.”

In the end, Wright called himself an optimist, adding, “Is it an uphill battle? Absolutely.”

Mail-in ballots will begin being delivered to voters in the coming weeks before Election Day on Nov. 8.

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