Elevate Utah PAC announced a strategic recruitment initiative on July 29, 2026, to field 10 powerhouse candidates across 10 key districts in an effort to shift the state's political landscape. Partnering with Vote Save America, the political action committee aims to identify candidates with significant winning potential to challenge Republican incumbents in the upcoming 2026 election cycle.
Targeting Competitive Districts
The organization's 2026 'Flip List' focuses on specific districts where the PAC believes the demographic and political maps align for competitive races. According to a recruitment announcement from the group, the initiative is designed to provide candidates with the necessary training, support, and infrastructure required to win. The PAC emphasized that the effort is focused on finding candidates with real stories and real stakes rather than running a broad, statewide campaign.
Focus on House District 10
A primary focus of the recruitment effort involves House District 10, which covers Southern Ogden, Ogden East Bench, South Ogden, Riverdale, and Washington Terrace. The PAC reported that it has already secured a candidate for this district. The seat is currently held by Republican Jill Koford, who, according to the PAC, voted with GOP leadership 94.7% of the time.
Specific legislative actions cited by the PAC regarding Koford include support for HB267, a bill targeting collective bargaining rights for public sector labor unions; HB300, which phases out automatic vote-by-mail; HB77, which banned pride flags in schools and government buildings; and HB226, which increases penalties for certain Class A misdemeanors to trigger automatic deportation.
District 10 Voting Trends
The political significance of House District 10 is highlighted by its recent voting history. The PAC noted that the district saw a blue-to-red flip in 2024, with the Republican candidate winning by 309 votes. This follows a 2022 election where the incumbent, Rosemary Lesser, won against Koford by 500 votes. The PAC noted that Lesser outperformed Kamala Harris by 1.1 percentage points across the district, performing particularly well in 13 swing precincts where she gained 3.4 percentage points.
Recruitment in House District 26
Recruitment is also actively in progress for House District 26, which serves West Valley City and Magna. This district was flipped from Democrat to Republican in 2022, with a Republican margin of 127 votes. In 2024, the Republican incumbent won the seat by 991 votes.
The current incumbent for District 26 is Matt MacPherson, who was appointed to the position in late 2023 following the resignation of Quinn Kotter. The PAC's recruitment materials characterized MacPherson as having voted with GOP leadership 96.1% of the time during 2025. The group specifically cited MacPherson's cosponsorship of HB81, which banned fluoride in public water supplies, as well as his votes on the pride flag ban, vote-by-mail phase-out, and the automatic deportation bill for certain misdemeanors.
Election Cycle Timeline
The PAC noted that several prominent Democrats have previously won in District 26, including County Mayor Jenny Wilson in 2024, Sheriff Rosie Rivera in 2022, District Attorney Sim Gill in 2022, and Clerk Lannie Chapman in 2022.
As the 2026 election cycle progresses, the PAC noted that the timeline for candidates is critical. Following the January 2-8 candidate declaration period, the primary election is scheduled for June 24, 2026. The general election, which will decide seats for all Utah House districts and specific Senate districts, is set for November 3, 2026. Newly elected legislators will be sworn into office in January 2027.
Strategic Momentum
The Elevate Utah PAC's strategy relies on early preparation to ensure candidates are not scrambling as deadlines approach. The organization stated that they are starting the recruitment and training process early because the people currently in power are already gearing up to maintain their positions. The PAC's stated goal is to take back political power through these targeted, high-momentum campaigns.
Long-term Political Strategy
The PAC's recruitment efforts are part of a broader effort to identify candidates through both convention and petition processes. By targeting districts where margins were narrow, such as the 127-vote margin in District 26 in 2022, the organization aims to maximize the impact of its resources and infrastructure.
