Jesse West, a Salt Lake City attorney, is the Libertarian candidate for Utah's 1st Congressional District in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

West, 30, faces Republican Riley Owen, Democrat Ben McAdams and independent Elias Henry Montgomery.

Candidate information

  • Party: Libertarian
  • Age: 30
  • Residence: Salt Lake City
  • Education: High school diploma, Cleveland High School (2013); bachelor of arts in history, University of Tennessee; juris doctor, Lincoln Memorial University
  • Profession: Attorney in private practice
  • Political role: Chair, Salt Lake City Libertarian Party

West said on his Libertarian Party profile that he came from a religious community in Tennessee and was raised Baptist. On his campaign website, he said he began visiting Utah in 2018 to ski and moved to the state after graduating from school. He described himself as a Brighton season pass holder and family law practitioner.

Experience and public service

West has worked as an associate attorney at three firms, according to his Ballotpedia profile: Jess Couser Family Law, Cowdin and Gatewood, and Long Okura, P.C. Ballotpedia also lists him as owner of Husky Hemp Farm.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from West's campaign platform and his BallotReady questionnaire responses. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Immigration and foreign policy. West said he supports open borders and a freer exchange of labor, ideas and goods to grow American business. He said he would create straightforward pathways to citizenship, give businesses access to workers without bureaucratic barriers and manage local resources so residents and new arrivals get fair access to services. He also said he would end U.S. involvement in undeclared conflicts and forever wars, bring troops home from non-strategic deployments and require congressional authorization for any new military engagement.

Healthcare. West said he would require up-front pricing from every hospital and provider. He said he supports letting people buy health insurance across state lines, expanding tax-free health savings accounts, repealing certificate-of-need laws that block new clinics and cutting FDA regulations he said block cheaper generics and biosimilars from shelves.

Criminal justice and drug policy. West said he would remove cannabis from the federal controlled substances list, let states regulate it like alcohol, and expunge all federal cannabis convictions and release non-violent offenders. He said he supports ending mandatory minimum sentences and restoring judicial discretion, abolishing the federal death penalty and investing in rehabilitation and reentry programs. He also said veterans should be permitted to use medical cannabis without losing VA benefits.

Taxes and budget. West said he would simplify the tax code, lower rates across the board and end corporate subsidies and industry-specific tax breaks. He said he would end taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuel extraction on public lands and redirect military spending toward veteran care and domestic infrastructure.

Housing and public lands. West said he supports repealing zoning laws that restrict home businesses and housing supply. He said he would expand protections for climbing, hiking and camping access and shift environmental management authority to states and local communities.

The Cottonwood Heights-Holladay Times sent West a candidate questionnaire. The policy positions above are drawn from his campaign website and his BallotReady responses.