Nate Blouin

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Nate Blouin completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blouin's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-389434-2026-01-07\" id=\"heading-key-message-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-389434-2026-01-07\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-389434-2026-01-07\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Utah’s current congressional delegation has let Trump and the billionaire class privatize, downsize, and corrupt our democracy. Our neighbors are being brutalized by masked federal agents while Congress fails to hold this administration accountable. I’ve taken on MAGA Republicans in the State Senate, and on Day 1 I’ll focus on taking on monopolies, investigating ICE facilities and private prisons, and standing up for what matters most to Utahns - not corporate lobbyists.</li><li>The ACA expanded access to affordable, quality health care for millions of Americans. But millions more of our neighbors remain uninsured, and now MAGA Republicans are fighting to raise premiums for those already on the brink of losing coverage and care. Health care is a human right. Passing Medicare for All will ensure that greedy pharmaceutical and insurance companies can’t put their profits above your health.</li><li>Utah’s strength lies in its natural treasures. That’s why we must strengthen the Clean Air Act and give the EPA the tools, funding, and staff to enforce it. I will co-sponsor the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act, and secure the funding needed to save Great Salt Lake. These spaces are critical natural and recreational lands that are under threat of encroachment and disturbance. The work we've done on the ground here in Utah in partnership with local governments and conservation groups to protect these lands despite efforts by state and federal officials to undermine this important work deserves to be made permanent.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-389434-2026-01-07\" id=\"heading1-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-389434-2026-01-07\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-389434-2026-01-07\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCampaign finance reform and taking corporate money out of politics. Citizens United opened our election system to a flood of untraceable corporate money, creating an unprecedented risk to our democracy. As a candidate for Congress, I refuse to take corporate PAC money and will fight to end the secret flow of corporate money in our elections.<br/><br/>\r\nI also am personally passionate about building cleaner energy infrastructure. Energy prices have increased in recent years because we’re not building the infrastructure needed to modernize and efficiently manage the nation’s fragmented electric grid. I’ll ramp up efforts to incorporate more wind, solar, storage and geothermal options that mitigate volatile fossil fuel costs that drive up energy bills.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-389434-2026-01-07\" id=\"heading2-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-389434-2026-01-07\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-389434-2026-01-07\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-389434-2026-01-07\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI’m proud to have the endorsement of National figures like Bernie Sanders as well as local electeds like State Rep. Grant Miller and Salt Lake City Councilwoman Natalie Pinckney. A list of endorsements can be found on my website here: https://www.nateforutah.com/endorsements\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div><div style=\"margin-bottom:1.5rem\"><h4>Campaign websites</h4><p>Blouin's campaign website stated the following:</p><div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\"><h3><strong>Take On Trump and MAGA Republicans</strong></h3><p><br/></p><p><strong>Stand Up for All Utahns</strong></p><p>Utah’s current congressional delegation has let Trump and the billionaire class privatize, downsize, and corrupt our democracy. Our neighbors are being brutalized by masked federal agents while Congress fails to hold this administration accountable. I’ve taken on MAGA Republicans in the State Senate, and on Day 1 I’ll focus on taking on monopolies, investigating ICE facilities and private prisons, and standing up for what matters most to Utahns -- not corporate lobbyists.</p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><h3><strong>Build An Economy That Works for Everyone</strong></h3><p><br/></p><p><strong>Enact Medicare for All</strong></p><p>The ACA expanded access to affordable, quality health care for millions of Americans. But millions more of our neighbors remain uninsured, and now MAGA Republicans are fighting to raise premiums for those already on the brink of losing coverage and care. Health care is a human right. Passing Medicare for All will ensure that greedy pharmaceutical and insurance companies can’t put their profits above your health.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Tax the Billionaires</strong></p><p>A billionaire could spend $10,000 every day for 273 years and still not run out of money. We need to comprehensively reform the tax system so it benefits working people and ensures the top 1%, Wall Street, and large corporations pay their fair share. In the State Senate, I introduced legislation that would have imposed a 1% additional tax on Utahns making over $1 million each year while making the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable, raising $150 million for Utah schools and returning $65 million to working families every year.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Take Power Back from Wall Street and Tech Excesses</strong></p><p>The deck is stacked against working Americans, and those dealing the cards need to be reined in. I’ll take on the corporate monopolies that are squeezing both workers and Main Street businesses -- breaking up the giant companies that are too-big-to-fail, ending AI-driven price-fixing algorithms, and stopping local monopolies in private equity that inflate prices while destroying local services, killing competition, and shipping jobs away. AI and social media are tools in today’s society, but we can’t let them run out of control without proper oversight and regulation. When working people lose power, we all lose freedom. And when we stand together, we win it back.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Protect Our Freedoms and Empower Working People</strong></p><p>Real freedom means the freedom to earn a decent living without working three jobs, the freedom to speak up on the job without fearing you’ll get fired, and the freedom to build a life in a community where small businesses can thrive instead of being crushed by corporate monopolies. Utah is a right-to-work state, and for decades that’s been used as an excuse to weaken unions and keep workers from having real power at the bargaining table. Congress can and must act to restore the freedoms working people have lost. I’ll fight to pass the PRO Act to expand collective bargaining rights nationwide, protect workers from retaliation when they organize, and stop union-busting tactics.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Support Affordable Public College and Trade School</strong></p><p>High tuition costs have put college and trade schools out of reach for too many Utahns, and millions of Americans are saddled with a lifetime of student loan debt. I support capping tuition, banning predatory student loans, and increasing public funding for higher education so everyone has a path to a degree.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Strengthening Public K-12 Education</strong></p><p>Every student in every community must have access to high quality public education. We need monumental changes that rebuild the Department of Education while stopping efforts to send public dollars to private schools. It is unacceptable that in the wealthiest country on the planet that we have crumbling schools and teachers that struggle to put food on the table while paying out of pocket for classroom supplies.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Ensure Affordable Housing and Protecting Renters and Homeowners</strong></p><p>We must take action to ensure stable, affordable housing for everyone. This means building more housing to bring rents down and help more people buy into the American dream. I will fight to stop unjust evictions, protect homeowners and provide mortgage relief, and pass legislation to curb rent increases and rein in restrictive zoning laws through the Place to Prosper Act.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Expand Childcare Tax Credits</strong></p><p>Accessible, high-quality child care is critical for Utah families, workers, and our economy. Rising child care costs are straining household budgets and making it harder to meet children’s most essential needs. We need to fund Universal Pre-K and passing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act will support more kids while reducing the economic burden on parents.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Housing as a Human Right</strong></p><p>Homelessness in Salt Lake City is a policy failure, and we must recognize that housing is a human right. We need to fully fund the proven \"Housing First\" model by aggressively leveraging federal capital to immediately build deeply affordable housing units across the valley. We must break the cycle of instability by prioritizing prevention, ensuring federal rental assistance and legal aid are readily available to stop evictions before they happen.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Secure a Living Wage</strong></p><p>No one who works full time should live in poverty. Today, a full-time minimum-wage worker with a family of three earns significantly below the federal poverty line -- and that is unacceptable. I support raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $20 an hour and tying it to inflation so wages keep up with the cost of living.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Protect and Expand Social Security</strong></p><p>Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to keep them from falling into poverty. I will stand up for this critical program and the people who depend on it. Too many Americans under 50 worry that the promise of Social Security won’t be kept, and I will fight to ensure it is protected for future generations. That means keeping it out of the hands of Wall Street, raising the cap on the Social Security Tax, protecting benefits from being garnished due to student loan debt, and expanding benefits so they keep pace with the cost of living.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Honor Our Promises to Veterans</strong></p><p>We must honor the promises we’ve made to every veteran by ensuring that their transition to civilian life is never a bureaucratic struggle. They deserve the world-class care they have earned. That also means providing housing assistance and debt relief, working to end veteran homelessness, and ensuring that living wages and union jobs are accessible to all who have served. </p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Cannabis Policy Reform</strong></p><p>Cannabis prohibition has failed and should be ended at the federal level, Federal legalization of marijuana with strong, common-sense regulation is the best path forward. Let's pass the HOPE Act to fund the expungement and sealing of records for low-level marijuana offenses. And we must remove federal barriers to medical and scientific research and ensure legal cannabis businesses have access to banking so the industry operates transparently and responsibly.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>A Citizen-Focused Approach to the Rio Grande Plan</strong></p><p>The Rio Grande Plan (RGP) will transform Salt Lake City. Eliminating the dangerous, at-grade rail crossings by constructing the \"Train Box\" will address the long-standing East-West divide in the city and we must ensure local, county, and state leaders are unified in integrating the RGP while being maximally responsive to citizen engagement. In Congress, I will champion this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance safety, boost economic prosperity, and solidify Salt Lake City's position as a national transportation hub.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Tackle the Gun Violence Health Crisis</strong></p><p>Gun violence is a public health crisis. Full stop. A supermajority of Americans support commonsense gun-safety measures like universal background checks and red flag laws. To address this generational problem, we must break the gun industry’s hold on our government and prioritize the safety and health of everyday Americans. As a legislator, I sponsored legislation that would ban semiautomatic weapons, create a waiting period for firearm purchases, implement needed 'red flag' laws, and ban attachments that turn guns into fully automatic weapons, and I’m proud to have earned a 0% rating from the NRA during my time in the State Senate.</p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><h3><strong>Protect the Environment Now and In the Future</strong></h3><p><br/></p><p><strong>Preserve Public Lands</strong></p><p>Utah’s strength lies in its natural treasures. That’s why we must strengthen the Clean Air Act and give the EPA the tools, funding, and staff to enforce it. I will co-sponsor the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act, and secure the funding needed to save Great Salt Lake. These spaces are critical natural and recreational lands that are under threat of encroachment and disturbance. The work we've done on the ground here in Utah in partnership with local governments and conservation groups to protect these lands despite efforts by state and federal officials to undermine this important work deserves to be made permanent.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Pass the Green New Deal</strong></p><p>Passing the Green New Deal will transition our country away from fossil fuels and dramatically expand renewable energy sources. Utah should be the world leader in geothermal energy production, which will provide a backbone to the grid enabling us to build more wind and solar capacity while transitioning skilled workers from fossil fuel jobs to high paying clean energy careers.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Modernize the Grid to Reduce Energy Costs and Emissions</strong></p><p>Energy prices have increased in recent years because we’re not building the infrastructure needed to modernize and efficiently manage the nation’s fragmented electric grid. I’ll ramp up efforts to incorporate more wind, solar, storage and geothermal while creating opportunities for Grid Enhancing Technologies that mitigate volatile fossil fuel costs that drive up energy bills. And we’ll crack down on the billionaires who want to build data centers to power their AI empires by requiring them to put real benefits back into the community so that we’re not subsidizing their profits.</p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><h3><strong>Restore and Protect Democracy</strong></h3><p><br/></p><p><strong>Take Corporate Money Out of Politics</strong></p><p>Citizens United opened our election system to a flood of untraceable corporate money, creating an unprecedented risk to our democracy. As a candidate for Congress, I refuse to take corporate PAC money and will fight to end the secret flow of corporate money in our elections. Democracy should not be for sale and money is not speech.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Reform the Criminal Justice System</strong></p><p>It is unacceptable that America has the largest prison population in the world. I will fight to end the War on Drugs, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and cash bail, end solitary confinement, and take steps to abolish the private prison system that prioritizes profits over rehabilitation. We must scale up restorative justice programs like the one my family leveraged to divert a young offender out of the criminal justice system after a tragic accident killed my father. Solutions like this leave everyone better off.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Promote Transparency in Government with Action</strong></p><p>I will publish my official House schedule online so Utahns can see who I’m meeting with and how I’m working for Utah families in Congress. I will also introduce legislation requiring all members to do the same.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>End Congressional Stock Trading</strong></p><p>Elected leaders have access to information that impacts policy, the economy, and entire industries, and for too long their personal investments have far outperformed those of average Americans. I will join the fight to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, putting an end to corrupt insider trading and ensuring our elected officials focus on delivering results for their constituents -- not their stock portfolios.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Fight for National Gerrymandering Reform</strong></p><p>It’s time to pass the For the People Act. Over 70% of congressional districts in America do not have competitive general elections. The health of our democracy is at stake unless we fix this and ensure voters -- not politicians -- choose their elected officials.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Protect Equitable Access to the Ballot</strong></p><p>We must take steps to ensure that every eligible voter has fair and ready access to the ballot. That means expanding and protecting options for Americans who may not be able to vote in person on Election Day. In practice, this means widening early in-person voting and providing secure, no-excuse mail-in voting for all.</p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><h3><strong>Stand Up for Human Rights</strong></h3><p><br/></p><p><strong>Safeguard Reproductive Rights</strong></p><p>Women -- not politicians -- should be trusted to make their own healthcare decisions, especially when it comes to starting a family. I strongly oppose Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and life-saving healthcare for women across the country, support full repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and believe that abortion rights should be permanently enshrined into law.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Ensure Immigrant Rights and Abolish ICE</strong></p><p>We must create a humane, realistic pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. That starts with ending the current administration’s abusive enforcement tactics, restoring due process, and stopping the raids that terrorize families and communities. ICE routinely violates basic human rights and operates with zero accountability. It should be dismantled and replaced with a system focused on safety, dignity, and civil rights -- not fear and punishment.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Champion People-First Foreign Policy</strong></p><p>American foreign policy should be grounded in democracy, human rights, and international cooperation. We must stand for peace, justice, and human rights for all. That means acknowledging genocide committed in Gaza by the Netanyahu government and ending U.S. aid used against civilians. In addition, I will push to immediately designate Temporary Protected Status for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and the West Bank.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Standing Up to Trump's War Machine</strong></p><p>We have to stop letting presidents drag us into wars without authorization from Congress. When Israel pulled the United States into another Middle East conflict, Donald Trump went along without a single vote in Congress, and I will fight to make sure that never happens again. I will vote for a War Powers Resolution to reassert Congress's constitutional authority over military action as a baseline, and I will support the Block the Bombs Act to stop the flow of American weapons being used to bomb civilian infrastructure. I will oppose offensive military action whether that means wars in the Middle East or Trump's threats toward Cuba or anywhere else. Every billion dollars we spend bombing hospitals and schools abroad is a billion dollars we are not spending building hospitals and schools here at home. I believe in an America that leads with diplomacy and invests in its own people.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>Pass the Equality Act</strong></p><p>Non-discrimination protections for race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community. Passing the Equality Act would explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Enacting Medicare for All would further expand LGBTQ mental health services and safeguard access to transgender healthcare.</p></blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><p style=\"font-size:0.9em;color:#555\">— Nate Blouin's <a href=\"https://www.nateforutah.com/issues\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (April 23, 2026)</p></div></div><p>Blouin's campaign website stated the following:</p><div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\"><h5 class=\"ql-align-center\"><br/></h5><h2 class=\"ql-align-center\"><strong>Take On Trump and MAGA Republicans</strong></h2><h3><strong>Stand Up for All Utahns</strong></h3><ul><li>Utah’s current congressional delegation has let Trump and the billionaire class privatize, downsize, and corrupt our democracy. Our neighbors are being brutalized by masked federal agents while Congress fails to hold this administration accountable. I’ve taken on MAGA Republicans in the State Senate, and on Day 1 I’ll focus on taking on monopolies, investigating ICE facilities and private prisons, and standing up for what matters most to Utahns -- not corporate lobbyists.</li></ul><h5 class=\"ql-align-center\"><br/></h5><h2 class=\"ql-align-center\"><strong>Build An Economy That Works for Everyone</strong></h2><h3><strong>Enact Medicare for All</strong></h3><ul><li>The ACA expanded access to affordable, quality health care for millions of Americans. But millions more of our neighbors remain uninsured, and now MAGA Republicans are fighting to raise premiums for those already on the brink of losing coverage and care. Health care is a human right. Passing Medicare for All will ensure that greedy pharmaceutical and insurance companies can’t put their profits above your health.</li></ul><h3><strong>Tax the Billionaires</strong></h3><ul><li>A billionaire could spend $10,000 every day for 273 years and still not run out of money. We need to comprehensively reform the tax system so it benefits working people and ensures the top 1%, Wall Street, and large corporations pay their fair share. In the State Senate, I introduced legislation that would have imposed a 1% additional tax on Utahns making over $1 million each year while making the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable, raising $150 million for Utah schools and returning $65 million to working families every year.</li></ul><h3><strong>Take Power Back from Wall Street and Tech Excesses</strong></h3><ul><li>The deck is stacked against working Americans, and those dealing the cards need to be reined in. I’ll take on the corporate monopolies that are squeezing both workers and Main Street businesses -- breaking up the giant companies that are too-big-to-fail, ending AI-driven price-fixing algorithms, and stopping local monopolies in private equity that inflate prices while destroying local services, killing competition, and shipping jobs away. AI and social media are tools in today’s society, but we can’t let them run out of control without proper oversight and regulation. When working people lose power, we all lose freedom. And when we stand together, we win it back.</li></ul><h3><strong>Protect Our Freedoms and Empower Working People</strong></h3><ul><li>Real freedom means the freedom to earn a decent living without working three jobs, the freedom to speak up on the job without fearing you’ll get fired, and the freedom to build a life in a community where small businesses can thrive instead of being crushed by corporate monopolies. Utah is a right-to-work state, and for decades that’s been used as an excuse to weaken unions and keep workers from having real power at the bargaining table. Congress can and must act to restore the freedoms working people have lost. I’ll fight to pass the PRO Act to expand collective bargaining rights nationwide, protect workers from retaliation when they organize, and stop union-busting tactics.</li></ul><h3><strong>Support Affordable Public College and Trade School</strong></h3><ul><li>High tuition costs have put college and trade schools out of reach for too many Utahns, and millions of Americans are saddled with a lifetime of student loan debt. I support capping tuition, banning predatory student loans, and increasing public funding for higher education so everyone has a path to a degree.</li></ul><h3><strong>Strengthening Public K-12 Education</strong></h3><ul><li>Every student in every community must have access to high quality public education. We need monumental changes that rebuild the Department of Education while stopping efforts to send public dollars to private schools. It is unacceptable that in the wealthiest country on the planet that we have crumbling schools and teachers that struggle to put food on the table while paying out of pocket for classroom supplies.</li></ul><h3><strong>Ensure Affordable Housing and Protecting Renters and Homeowners</strong></h3><ul><li>We must take action to ensure stable, affordable housing for everyone. This means building more housing to bring rents down and help more people buy into the American dream. I will fight to stop unjust evictions, protect homeowners and provide mortgage relief, and pass legislation to curb rent increases and rein in restrictive zoning laws through the Place to Prosper Act.</li></ul><h3><strong>Expand Childcare Tax Credits</strong></h3><ul><li>Accessible, high-quality child care is critical for Utah families, workers, and our economy. Rising child care costs are straining household budgets and making it harder to meet children’s most essential needs. We need to fund Universal Pre-K and passing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act will support more kids while reducing the economic burden on parents.</li></ul><h3><strong>Housing as a Human Right</strong></h3><ul><li>Homelessness in Salt Lake City is a policy failure, and we must recognize that housing is a human right. We need to fully fund the proven \"Housing First\" model by aggressively leveraging federal capital to immediately build deeply affordable housing units across the valley. We must break the cycle of instability by prioritizing prevention, ensuring federal rental assistance and legal aid are readily available to stop evictions before they happen.</li></ul><h3><strong>Secure a Living Wage</strong></h3><ul><li>No one who works full time should live in poverty. Today, a full-time minimum-wage worker with a family of three earns significantly below the federal poverty line -- and that is unacceptable. I support raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $20 an hour and tying it to inflation so wages keep up with the cost of living.</li></ul><h3><strong>Protect and Expand Social Security</strong></h3><ul><li>Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to keep them from falling into poverty. I will stand up for this critical program and the people who depend on it. Too many Americans under 50 worry that the promise of Social Security won’t be kept, and I will fight to ensure it is protected for future generations. That means keeping it out of the hands of Wall Street, raising the cap on the Social Security Tax, protecting benefits from being garnished due to student loan debt, and expanding benefits so they keep pace with the cost of living.</li></ul><h3><strong>Honor Our Promises to Veterans</strong></h3><ul><li>We must honor the promises we’ve made to every veteran by ensuring that their transition to civilian life is never a bureaucratic struggle. They deserve the world-class care they have earned. That also means providing housing assistance and debt relief, working to end veteran homelessness, and ensuring that living wages and union jobs are accessible to all who have served. </li></ul><h3><strong>Cannabis Policy Reform</strong></h3><ul><li>Cannabis prohibition has failed and should be ended at the federal level, Federal legalization of marijuana with strong, common-sense regulation is the best path forward. Let's pass the HOPE Act to fund the expungement and sealing of records for low-level marijuana offenses. And we must remove federal barriers to medical and scientific research and ensure legal cannabis businesses have access to banking so the industry operates transparently and responsibly.</li></ul><h3><strong>A Citizen-Focused Approach to the Rio Grande Plan</strong></h3><ul><li>The Rio Grande Plan (RGP) will transform Salt Lake City. Eliminating the dangerous, at-grade rail crossings by constructing the \"Train Box\" will address the long-standing East-West divide in the city and we must ensure local, county, and state leaders are unified in integrating the RGP while being maximally responsive to citizen engagement. In Congress, I will champion this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance safety, boost economic prosperity, and solidify Salt Lake City's position as a national transportation hub.</li></ul><h3><strong>Tackle the Gun Violence Health Crisis</strong></h3><ul><li>Gun violence is a public health crisis. Full stop. A supermajority of Americans support commonsense gun-safety measures like universal background checks and red flag laws. To address this generational problem, we must break the gun industry’s hold on our government and prioritize the safety and health of everyday Americans. As a legislator, I sponsored legislation that would ban semiautomatic weapons, create a waiting period for firearm purchases, implement needed 'red flag' laws, and ban attachments that turn guns into fully automatic weapons, and I’m proud to have earned a 0% rating from the NRA during my time in the State Senate.</li></ul><h5 class=\"ql-align-center\"><br/></h5><h2 class=\"ql-align-center\"><strong>Protect the Environment Now and In the Future</strong></h2><h3><strong>Preserve Public Lands</strong></h3><ul><li>Utah’s strength lies in its natural treasures. That’s why we must strengthen the Clean Air Act and give the EPA the tools, funding, and staff to enforce it. I will co-sponsor the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act, and secure the funding needed to save Great Salt Lake. These spaces are critical natural and recreational lands that are under threat of encroachment and disturbance. The work we've done on the ground here in Utah in partnership with local governments and conservation groups to protect these lands despite efforts by state and federal officials to undermine this important work deserves to be made permanent.</li></ul><h3><strong>Pass the Green New Deal</strong></h3><ul><li>Passing the Green New Deal will transition our country away from fossil fuels and dramatically expand renewable energy sources. Utah should be the world leader in geothermal energy production, which will provide a backbone to the grid enabling us to build more wind and solar capacity while transitioning skilled workers from fossil fuel jobs to high paying clean energy careers.</li></ul><h3><strong>Modernize the Grid to Reduce Energy Costs and Emissions</strong></h3><ul><li>Energy prices have increased in recent years because we’re not building the infrastructure needed to modernize and efficiently manage the nation’s fragmented electric grid. I’ll ramp up efforts to incorporate more wind, solar, storage and geothermal while creating opportunities for Grid Enhancing Technologies that mitigate volatile fossil fuel costs that drive up energy bills. And we’ll crack down on the billionaires who want to build data centers to power their AI empires by requiring them to put real benefits back into the community so that we’re not subsidizing their profits.</li></ul><h5 class=\"ql-align-center\"><br/></h5><h2 class=\"ql-align-center\"><strong>Restore and Protect Democracy</strong></h2><h3><strong>Take Corporate Money Out of Politics</strong></h3><ul><li><em>Citizens United </em>opened our election system to a flood of untraceable corporate money, creating an unprecedented risk to our democracy. As a candidate for Congress, I refuse to take corporate PAC money and will fight to end the secret flow of corporate money in our elections. Democracy should not be for sale and money is not speech.</li></ul><h3><strong>Reform the Criminal Justice System</strong></h3><ul><li>It is unacceptable that America has the largest prison population in the world. I will fight to end the War on Drugs, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and cash bail, end solitary confinement, and take steps to abolish the private prison system that prioritizes profits over rehabilitation. We must scale up restorative justice programs like the one my family leveraged to divert a young offender out of the criminal justice system after a tragic accident killed my father. Solutions like this leave everyone better off.</li></ul><h3><strong>Promote Transparency in Government with Action</strong></h3><ul><li>I will publish my official House schedule online so Utahns can see who I’m meeting with and how I’m working for Utah families in Congress. I will also introduce legislation requiring all members to do the same.</li></ul><h3><strong>End Congressional Stock Trading</strong></h3><ul><li>Elected leaders have access to information that impacts policy, the economy, and entire industries, and for too long their personal investments have far outperformed those of average Americans. I will join the fight to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, putting an end to corrupt insider trading and ensuring our elected officials focus on delivering results for their constituents -- not their stock portfolios.</li></ul><h3><strong>Fight for National Gerrymandering Reform</strong></h3><ul><li>It’s time to pass the For the People Act. Over 70% of congressional districts in America do not have competitive general elections. The health of our democracy is at stake unless we fix this and ensure voters -- not politicians -- choose their elected officials.</li></ul><h3><strong>Protect Equitable Access to the Ballot</strong></h3><ul><li>We must take steps to ensure that every eligible voter has fair and ready access to the ballot. That means expanding and protecting options for Americans who may not be able to vote in person on Election Day. In practice, this means widening early in-person voting and providing secure, no-excuse mail-in voting for all.</li></ul><h2 class=\"ql-align-center\"><strong>Stand Up for Human Rights</strong></h2><p><br/></p><h3><strong>Safeguard Reproductive Rights</strong></h3><ul><li>Women -- not politicians -- should be trusted to make their own healthcare decisions, especially when it comes to starting a family. I strongly oppose Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and life-saving healthcare for women across the country, support full repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and believe that abortion rights should be permanently enshrined into law.</li></ul><h3><strong>Ensure Immigrant Rights and Abolish ICE</strong></h3><ul><li>We must create a humane, realistic pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. That starts with ending the current administration’s abusive enforcement tactics, restoring due process, and stopping the raids that terrorize families and communities. ICE routinely violates basic human rights and operates with zero accountability. It should be dismantled and replaced with a system focused on safety, dignity, and civil rights -- not fear and punishment.</li></ul><h3><strong>Champion People-First Foreign Policy</strong></h3><ul><li>American foreign policy should be grounded in democracy, human rights, and international cooperation. We must stand for peace, justice, and human rights for all. That means acknowledging genocide committed in Gaza by the Netanyahu government and ending U.S. aid used against civilians. In addition, I will push to immediately designate Temporary Protected Status for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and the West Bank.</li></ul><h3><strong>Standing Up to Trump's War Machine</strong></h3><ul><li>We have to stop letting presidents drag us into wars without authorization from Congress. When Israel pulled the United States into another Middle East conflict, Donald Trump went along without a single vote in Congress, and I will fight to make sure that never happens again. I will vote for a War Powers Resolution to reassert Congress's constitutional authority over military action as a baseline, and I will support the Block the Bombs Act to stop the flow of American weapons being used to bomb civilian infrastructure. I will oppose offensive military action whether that means wars in the Middle East or Trump's threats toward Cuba or anywhere else. Every billion dollars we spend bombing hospitals and schools abroad is a billion dollars we are not spending building hospitals and schools here at home. I believe in an America that leads with diplomacy and invests in its own people.</li></ul><h3><strong>Pass the Equality Act</strong></h3><ul><li>Non-discrimination protections for race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community. Passing the Equality Act would explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Enacting Medicare for All would further expand LGBTQ mental health services and safeguard access to transgender healthcare.</li></ul><p><br/></p></blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><p style=\"font-size:0.9em;color:#555\">— Nate Blouin's <a href=\"https://www.nateforutah.com/issues#block-7cdc132b-4035-4cbc-a598-2c1179b66eac\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (April 9, 2026)</p></div></div></div><div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><i>Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</i></div></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nNate Blouin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blouin's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Utah’s current congressional delegation has let Trump and the billionaire class privatize, downsize, and corrupt our democracy. Our neighbors are being brutalized by masked federal agents while Congress fails to hold this administration accountable. I’ve taken on MAGA Republicans in the State Senate, and on Day 1 I’ll focus on taking on monopolies, investigating ICE facilities and private prisons, and standing up for what matters most to Utahns - not corporate lobbyists. The ACA expanded access to affordable, quality health care for millions of Americans. But millions more of our neighbors remain uninsured, and now MAGA Republicans are fighting to raise premiums for those already on the brink of losing coverage and care. Health care is a human right. Passing Medicare for All will ensure that greedy pharmaceutical and insurance companies can’t put their profits above your health. Utah’s strength lies in its natural treasures. That’s why we must strengthen the Clean Air Act and give the EPA the tools, funding, and staff to enforce it. I will co-sponsor the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act, and secure the funding needed to save Great Salt Lake. These spaces are critical natural and recreational lands that are under threat of encroachment and disturbance. The work we've done on the ground here in Utah in partnership with local governments and conservation groups to protect these lands despite efforts by state and federal officials to undermine this important work deserves to be made permanent. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Campaign finance reform and taking corporate money out of politics. Citizens United opened our election system to a flood of untraceable corporate money, creating an unprecedented risk to our democracy. As a candidate for Congress, I refuse to take corporate PAC money and will fight to end the secret flow of corporate money in our elections. I also am personally passionate about building cleaner energy infrastructure. Energy prices have increased in recent years because we’re not building the infrastructure needed to modernize and efficiently manage the nation’s fragmented electric grid. I’ll ramp up efforts to incorporate more wind, solar, storage and geothermal options that mitigate volatile fossil fuel costs that drive up energy bills. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? I’m proud to have the endorsement of National figures like Bernie Sanders as well as local electeds like State Rep. Grant Miller and Salt Lake City Councilwoman Natalie Pinckney. A list of endorsements can be found on my website here: https://www.nateforutah.com/endorsements\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nCampaign websites Blouin's campaign website stated the following: Take On Trump and MAGA Republicans Stand Up for All Utahns Utah’s current congressional delegation has let Trump and the billionaire class privatize, downsize, and corrupt our democracy. Our neighbors are being brutalized by masked federal agents while Congress fails to hold this administration accountable. I’ve taken on MAGA Republicans in the State Senate, and on Day 1 I’ll focus on taking on monopolies, investigating ICE facilities and private prisons, and standing up for what matters most to Utahns -- not corporate lobbyists. Build An Economy That Works for Everyone Enact Medicare for All The ACA expanded access to affordable, quality health care for millions of Americans. But millions more of our neighbors remain uninsured, and now MAGA Republicans are fighting to raise premiums for those already on the brink of losing coverage and care. Health care is a human right. Passing Medicare for All will ensure that greedy pharmaceutical and insurance companies can’t put their profits above your health. Tax the Billionaires A billionaire could spend $10,000 every day for 273 years and still not run out of money. We need to comprehensively reform the tax system so it benefits working people and ensures the top 1%, Wall Street, and large corporations pay their fair share. In the State Senate, I introduced legislation that would have imposed a 1% additional tax on Utahns making over $1 million each year while making the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable, raising $150 million for Utah schools and returning $65 million to working families every year. Take Power Back from Wall Street and Tech Excesses The deck is stacked against working Americans, and those dealing the cards need to be reined in. I’ll take on the corporate monopolies that are squeezing both workers and Main Street businesses -- breaking up the giant companies that are too-big-to-fail, ending AI-driven price-fixing algorithms, and stopping local monopolies in private equity that inflate prices while destroying local services, killing competition, and shipping jobs away. AI and social media are tools in today’s society, but we can’t let them run out of control without proper oversight and regulation. When working people lose power, we all lose freedom. And when we stand together, we win it back. Protect Our Freedoms and Empower Working People Real freedom means the freedom to earn a decent living without working three jobs, the freedom to speak up on the job without fearing you’ll get fired, and the freedom to build a life in a community where small businesses can thrive instead of being crushed by corporate monopolies. Utah is a right-to-work state, and for decades that’s been used as an excuse to weaken unions and keep workers from having real power at the bargaining table. Congress can and must act to restore the freedoms working people have lost. I’ll fight to pass the PRO Act to expand collective bargaining rights nationwide, protect workers from retaliation when they organize, and stop union-busting tactics. Support Affordable Public College and Trade School High tuition costs have put college and trade schools out of reach for too many Utahns, and millions of Americans are saddled with a lifetime of student loan debt. I support capping tuition, banning predatory student loans, and increasing public funding for higher education so everyone has a path to a degree. Strengthening Public K-12 Education Every student in every community must have access to high quality public education. We need monumental changes that rebuild the Department of Education while stopping efforts to send public dollars to private schools. It is unacceptable that in the wealthiest country on the planet that we have crumbling schools and teachers that struggle to put food on the table while paying out of pocket for classroom supplies. Ensure Affordable Housing and Protecting Renters and Homeowners We must take action to ensure stable, affordable housing for everyone. This means building more housing to bring rents down and help more people buy into the American dream. I will fight to stop unjust evictions, protect homeowners and provide mortgage relief, and pass legislation to curb rent increases and rein in restrictive zoning laws through the Place to Prosper Act. Expand Childcare Tax Credits Accessible, high-quality child care is critical for Utah families, workers, and our economy. Rising child care costs are straining household budgets and making it harder to meet children’s most essential needs. We need to fund Universal Pre-K and passing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act will support more kids while reducing the economic burden on parents. Housing as a Human Right Homelessness in Salt Lake City is a policy failure, and we must recognize that housing is a human right. We need to fully fund the proven \"Housing First\" model by aggressively leveraging federal capital to immediately build deeply affordable housing units across the valley. We must break the cycle of instability by prioritizing prevention, ensuring federal rental assistance and legal aid are readily available to stop evictions before they happen. Secure a Living Wage No one who works full time should live in poverty. Today, a full-time minimum-wage worker with a family of three earns significantly below the federal poverty line -- and that is unacceptable. I support raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $20 an hour and tying it to inflation so wages keep up with the cost of living. Protect and Expand Social Security Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to keep them from falling into poverty. I will stand up for this critical program and the people who depend on it. Too many Americans under 50 worry that the promise of Social Security won’t be kept, and I will fight to ensure it is protected for future generations. That means keeping it out of the hands of Wall Street, raising the cap on the Social Security Tax, protecting benefits from being garnished due to student loan debt, and expanding benefits so they keep pace with the cost of living. Honor Our Promises to Veterans We must honor the promises we’ve made to every veteran by ensuring that their transition to civilian life is never a bureaucratic struggle. They deserve the world-class care they have earned. That also means providing housing assistance and debt relief, working to end veteran homelessness, and ensuring that living wages and union jobs are accessible to all who have served. Cannabis Policy Reform Cannabis prohibition has failed and should be ended at the federal level, Federal legalization of marijuana with strong, common-sense regulation is the best path forward. Let's pass the HOPE Act to fund the expungement and sealing of records for low-level marijuana offenses. And we must remove federal barriers to medical and scientific research and ensure legal cannabis businesses have access to banking so the industry operates transparently and responsibly. A Citizen-Focused Approach to the Rio Grande Plan The Rio Grande Plan (RGP) will transform Salt Lake City. Eliminating the dangerous, at-grade rail crossings by constructing the \"Train Box\" will address the long-standing East-West divide in the city and we must ensure local, county, and state leaders are unified in integrating the RGP while being maximally responsive to citizen engagement. In Congress, I will champion this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance safety, boost economic prosperity, and solidify Salt Lake City's position as a national transportation hub. Tackle the Gun Violence Health Crisis Gun violence is a public health crisis. Full stop. A supermajority of Americans support commonsense gun-safety measures like universal background checks and red flag laws. To address this generational problem, we must break the gun industry’s hold on our government and prioritize the safety and health of everyday Americans. As a legislator, I sponsored legislation that would ban semiautomatic weapons, create a waiting period for firearm purchases, implement needed 'red flag' laws, and ban attachments that turn guns into fully automatic weapons, and I’m proud to have earned a 0% rating from the NRA during my time in the State Senate. Protect the Environment Now and In the Future Preserve Public Lands Utah’s strength lies in its natural treasures. That’s why we must strengthen the Clean Air Act and give the EPA the tools, funding, and staff to enforce it. I will co-sponsor the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act, and secure the funding needed to save Great Salt Lake. These spaces are critical natural and recreational lands that are under threat of encroachment and disturbance. The work we've done on the ground here in Utah in partnership with local governments and conservation groups to protect these lands despite efforts by state and federal officials to undermine this important work deserves to be made permanent. Pass the Green New Deal Passing the Green New Deal will transition our country away from fossil fuels and dramatically expand renewable energy sources. Utah should be the world leader in geothermal energy production, which will provide a backbone to the grid enabling us to build more wind and solar capacity while transitioning skilled workers from fossil fuel jobs to high paying clean energy careers. Modernize the Grid to Reduce Energy Costs and Emissions Energy prices have increased in recent years because we’re not building the infrastructure needed to modernize and efficiently manage the nation’s fragmented electric grid. I’ll ramp up efforts to incorporate more wind, solar, storage and geothermal while creating opportunities for Grid Enhancing Technologies that mitigate volatile fossil fuel costs that drive up energy bills. And we’ll crack down on the billionaires who want to build data centers to power their AI empires by requiring them to put real benefits back into the community so that we’re not subsidizing their profits. Restore and Protect Democracy Take Corporate Money Out of Politics Citizens United opened our election system to a flood of untraceable corporate money, creating an unprecedented risk to our democracy. As a candidate for Congress, I refuse to take corporate PAC money and will fight to end the secret flow of corporate money in our elections. Democracy should not be for sale and money is not speech. Reform the Criminal Justice System It is unacceptable that America has the largest prison population in the world. I will fight to end the War on Drugs, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and cash bail, end solitary confinement, and take steps to abolish the private prison system that prioritizes profits over rehabilitation. We must scale up restorative justice programs like the one my family leveraged to divert a young offender out of the criminal justice system after a tragic accident killed my father. Solutions like this leave everyone better off. Promote Transparency in Government with Action I will publish my official House schedule online so Utahns can see who I’m meeting with and how I’m working for Utah families in Congress. I will also introduce legislation requiring all members to do the same. End Congressional Stock Trading Elected leaders have access to information that impacts policy, the economy, and entire industries, and for too long their personal investments have far outperformed those of average Americans. I will join the fight to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, putting an end to corrupt insider trading and ensuring our elected officials focus on delivering results for their constituents -- not their stock portfolios. Fight for National Gerrymandering Reform It’s time to pass the For the People Act. Over 70% of congressional districts in America do not have competitive general elections. The health of our democracy is at stake unless we fix this and ensure voters -- not politicians -- choose their elected officials. Protect Equitable Access to the Ballot We must take steps to ensure that every eligible voter has fair and ready access to the ballot. That means expanding and protecting options for Americans who may not be able to vote in person on Election Day. In practice, this means widening early in-person voting and providing secure, no-excuse mail-in voting for all. Stand Up for Human Rights Safeguard Reproductive Rights Women -- not politicians -- should be trusted to make their own healthcare decisions, especially when it comes to starting a family. I strongly oppose Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and life-saving healthcare for women across the country, support full repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and believe that abortion rights should be permanently enshrined into law. Ensure Immigrant Rights and Abolish ICE We must create a humane, realistic pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. That starts with ending the current administration’s abusive enforcement tactics, restoring due process, and stopping the raids that terrorize families and communities. ICE routinely violates basic human rights and operates with zero accountability. It should be dismantled and replaced with a system focused on safety, dignity, and civil rights -- not fear and punishment. Champion People-First Foreign Policy American foreign policy should be grounded in democracy, human rights, and international cooperation. We must stand for peace, justice, and human rights for all. That means acknowledging genocide committed in Gaza by the Netanyahu government and ending U.S. aid used against civilians. In addition, I will push to immediately designate Temporary Protected Status for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and the West Bank. Standing Up to Trump's War Machine We have to stop letting presidents drag us into wars without authorization from Congress. When Israel pulled the United States into another Middle East conflict, Donald Trump went along without a single vote in Congress, and I will fight to make sure that never happens again. I will vote for a War Powers Resolution to reassert Congress's constitutional authority over military action as a baseline, and I will support the Block the Bombs Act to stop the flow of American weapons being used to bomb civilian infrastructure. I will oppose offensive military action whether that means wars in the Middle East or Trump's threats toward Cuba or anywhere else. Every billion dollars we spend bombing hospitals and schools abroad is a billion dollars we are not spending building hospitals and schools here at home. I believe in an America that leads with diplomacy and invests in its own people. Pass the Equality Act Non-discrimination protections for race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community. Passing the Equality Act would explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Enacting Medicare for All would further expand LGBTQ mental health services and safeguard access to transgender healthcare. — Nate Blouin's campaign website (April 23, 2026) Blouin's campaign website stated the following: Take On Trump and MAGA Republicans Stand Up for All Utahns Utah’s current congressional delegation has let Trump and the billionaire class privatize, downsize, and corrupt our democracy. Our neighbors are being brutalized by masked federal agents while Congress fails to hold this administration accountable. I’ve taken on MAGA Republicans in the State Senate, and on Day 1 I’ll focus on taking on monopolies, investigating ICE facilities and private prisons, and standing up for what matters most to Utahns -- not corporate lobbyists. Build An Economy That Works for Everyone Enact Medicare for All The ACA expanded access to affordable, quality health care for millions of Americans. But millions more of our neighbors remain uninsured, and now MAGA Republicans are fighting to raise premiums for those already on the brink of losing coverage and care. Health care is a human right. Passing Medicare for All will ensure that greedy pharmaceutical and insurance companies can’t put their profits above your health. Tax the Billionaires A billionaire could spend $10,000 every day for 273 years and still not run out of money. We need to comprehensively reform the tax system so it benefits working people and ensures the top 1%, Wall Street, and large corporations pay their fair share. In the State Senate, I introduced legislation that would have imposed a 1% additional tax on Utahns making over $1 million each year while making the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable, raising $150 million for Utah schools and returning $65 million to working families every year. Take Power Back from Wall Street and Tech Excesses The deck is stacked against working Americans, and those dealing the cards need to be reined in. I’ll take on the corporate monopolies that are squeezing both workers and Main Street businesses -- breaking up the giant companies that are too-big-to-fail, ending AI-driven price-fixing algorithms, and stopping local monopolies in private equity that inflate prices while destroying local services, killing competition, and shipping jobs away. AI and social media are tools in today’s society, but we can’t let them run out of control without proper oversight and regulation. When working people lose power, we all lose freedom. And when we stand together, we win it back. Protect Our Freedoms and Empower Working People Real freedom means the freedom to earn a decent living without working three jobs, the freedom to speak up on the job without fearing you’ll get fired, and the freedom to build a life in a community where small businesses can thrive instead of being crushed by corporate monopolies. Utah is a right-to-work state, and for decades that’s been used as an excuse to weaken unions and keep workers from having real power at the bargaining table. Congress can and must act to restore the freedoms working people have lost. I’ll fight to pass the PRO Act to expand collective bargaining rights nationwide, protect workers from retaliation when they organize, and stop union-busting tactics. Support Affordable Public College and Trade School High tuition costs have put college and trade schools out of reach for too many Utahns, and millions of Americans are saddled with a lifetime of student loan debt. I support capping tuition, banning predatory student loans, and increasing public funding for higher education so everyone has a path to a degree. Strengthening Public K-12 Education Every student in every community must have access to high quality public education. We need monumental changes that rebuild the Department of Education while stopping efforts to send public dollars to private schools. It is unacceptable that in the wealthiest country on the planet that we have crumbling schools and teachers that struggle to put food on the table while paying out of pocket for classroom supplies. Ensure Affordable Housing and Protecting Renters and Homeowners We must take action to ensure stable, affordable housing for everyone. This means building more housing to bring rents down and help more people buy into the American dream. I will fight to stop unjust evictions, protect homeowners and provide mortgage relief, and pass legislation to curb rent increases and rein in restrictive zoning laws through the Place to Prosper Act. Expand Childcare Tax Credits Accessible, high-quality child care is critical for Utah families, workers, and our economy. Rising child care costs are straining household budgets and making it harder to meet children’s most essential needs. We need to fund Universal Pre-K and passing the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act will support more kids while reducing the economic burden on parents. Housing as a Human Right Homelessness in Salt Lake City is a policy failure, and we must recognize that housing is a human right. We need to fully fund the proven \"Housing First\" model by aggressively leveraging federal capital to immediately build deeply affordable housing units across the valley. We must break the cycle of instability by prioritizing prevention, ensuring federal rental assistance and legal aid are readily available to stop evictions before they happen. Secure a Living Wage No one who works full time should live in poverty. Today, a full-time minimum-wage worker with a family of three earns significantly below the federal poverty line -- and that is unacceptable. I support raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to at least $20 an hour and tying it to inflation so wages keep up with the cost of living. Protect and Expand Social Security Millions of Americans rely on Social Security to keep them from falling into poverty. I will stand up for this critical program and the people who depend on it. Too many Americans under 50 worry that the promise of Social Security won’t be kept, and I will fight to ensure it is protected for future generations. That means keeping it out of the hands of Wall Street, raising the cap on the Social Security Tax, protecting benefits from being garnished due to student loan debt, and expanding benefits so they keep pace with the cost of living. Honor Our Promises to Veterans We must honor the promises we’ve made to every veteran by ensuring that their transition to civilian life is never a bureaucratic struggle. They deserve the world-class care they have earned. That also means providing housing assistance and debt relief, working to end veteran homelessness, and ensuring that living wages and union jobs are accessible to all who have served. Cannabis Policy Reform Cannabis prohibition has failed and should be ended at the federal level, Federal legalization of marijuana with strong, common-sense regulation is the best path forward. Let's pass the HOPE Act to fund the expungement and sealing of records for low-level marijuana offenses. And we must remove federal barriers to medical and scientific research and ensure legal cannabis businesses have access to banking so the industry operates transparently and responsibly. A Citizen-Focused Approach to the Rio Grande Plan The Rio Grande Plan (RGP) will transform Salt Lake City. Eliminating the dangerous, at-grade rail crossings by constructing the \"Train Box\" will address the long-standing East-West divide in the city and we must ensure local, county, and state leaders are unified in integrating the RGP while being maximally responsive to citizen engagement. In Congress, I will champion this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enhance safety, boost economic prosperity, and solidify Salt Lake City's position as a national transportation hub. Tackle the Gun Violence Health Crisis Gun violence is a public health crisis. Full stop. A supermajority of Americans support commonsense gun-safety measures like universal background checks and red flag laws. To address this generational problem, we must break the gun industry’s hold on our government and prioritize the safety and health of everyday Americans. As a legislator, I sponsored legislation that would ban semiautomatic weapons, create a waiting period for firearm purchases, implement needed 'red flag' laws, and ban attachments that turn guns into fully automatic weapons, and I’m proud to have earned a 0% rating from the NRA during my time in the State Senate. Protect the Environment Now and In the Future Preserve Public Lands Utah’s strength lies in its natural treasures. That’s why we must strengthen the Clean Air Act and give the EPA the tools, funding, and staff to enforce it. I will co-sponsor the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act, and secure the funding needed to save Great Salt Lake. These spaces are critical natural and recreational lands that are under threat of encroachment and disturbance. The work we've done on the ground here in Utah in partnership with local governments and conservation groups to protect these lands despite efforts by state and federal officials to undermine this important work deserves to be made permanent. Pass the Green New Deal Passing the Green New Deal will transition our country away from fossil fuels and dramatically expand renewable energy sources. Utah should be the world leader in geothermal energy production, which will provide a backbone to the grid enabling us to build more wind and solar capacity while transitioning skilled workers from fossil fuel jobs to high paying clean energy careers. Modernize the Grid to Reduce Energy Costs and Emissions Energy prices have increased in recent years because we’re not building the infrastructure needed to modernize and efficiently manage the nation’s fragmented electric grid. I’ll ramp up efforts to incorporate more wind, solar, storage and geothermal while creating opportunities for Grid Enhancing Technologies that mitigate volatile fossil fuel costs that drive up energy bills. And we’ll crack down on the billionaires who want to build data centers to power their AI empires by requiring them to put real benefits back into the community so that we’re not subsidizing their profits. Restore and Protect Democracy Take Corporate Money Out of Politics Citizens United opened our election system to a flood of untraceable corporate money, creating an unprecedented risk to our democracy. As a candidate for Congress, I refuse to take corporate PAC money and will fight to end the secret flow of corporate money in our elections. Democracy should not be for sale and money is not speech. Reform the Criminal Justice System It is unacceptable that America has the largest prison population in the world. I will fight to end the War on Drugs, eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and cash bail, end solitary confinement, and take steps to abolish the private prison system that prioritizes profits over rehabilitation. We must scale up restorative justice programs like the one my family leveraged to divert a young offender out of the criminal justice system after a tragic accident killed my father. Solutions like this leave everyone better off. Promote Transparency in Government with Action I will publish my official House schedule online so Utahns can see who I’m meeting with and how I’m working for Utah families in Congress. I will also introduce legislation requiring all members to do the same. End Congressional Stock Trading Elected leaders have access to information that impacts policy, the economy, and entire industries, and for too long their personal investments have far outperformed those of average Americans. I will join the fight to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, putting an end to corrupt insider trading and ensuring our elected officials focus on delivering results for their constituents -- not their stock portfolios. Fight for National Gerrymandering Reform It’s time to pass the For the People Act. Over 70% of congressional districts in America do not have competitive general elections. The health of our democracy is at stake unless we fix this and ensure voters -- not politicians -- choose their elected officials. Protect Equitable Access to the Ballot We must take steps to ensure that every eligible voter has fair and ready access to the ballot. That means expanding and protecting options for Americans who may not be able to vote in person on Election Day. In practice, this means widening early in-person voting and providing secure, no-excuse mail-in voting for all. Stand Up for Human Rights Safeguard Reproductive Rights Women -- not politicians -- should be trusted to make their own healthcare decisions, especially when it comes to starting a family. I strongly oppose Republican attacks on Planned Parenthood and life-saving healthcare for women across the country, support full repeal of the Hyde Amendment, and believe that abortion rights should be permanently enshrined into law. Ensure Immigrant Rights and Abolish ICE We must create a humane, realistic pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. That starts with ending the current administration’s abusive enforcement tactics, restoring due process, and stopping the raids that terrorize families and communities. ICE routinely violates basic human rights and operates with zero accountability. It should be dismantled and replaced with a system focused on safety, dignity, and civil rights -- not fear and punishment. Champion People-First Foreign Policy American foreign policy should be grounded in democracy, human rights, and international cooperation. We must stand for peace, justice, and human rights for all. That means acknowledging genocide committed in Gaza by the Netanyahu government and ending U.S. aid used against civilians. In addition, I will push to immediately designate Temporary Protected Status for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and the West Bank. Standing Up to Trump's War Machine We have to stop letting presidents drag us into wars without authorization from Congress. When Israel pulled the United States into another Middle East conflict, Donald Trump went along without a single vote in Congress, and I will fight to make sure that never happens again. I will vote for a War Powers Resolution to reassert Congress's constitutional authority over military action as a baseline, and I will support the Block the Bombs Act to stop the flow of American weapons being used to bomb civilian infrastructure. I will oppose offensive military action whether that means wars in the Middle East or Trump's threats toward Cuba or anywhere else. Every billion dollars we spend bombing hospitals and schools abroad is a billion dollars we are not spending building hospitals and schools here at home. I believe in an America that leads with diplomacy and invests in its own people. Pass the Equality Act Non-discrimination protections for race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community. Passing the Equality Act would explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Enacting Medicare for All would further expand LGBTQ mental health services and safeguard access to transgender healthcare. — Nate Blouin's campaign website (April 9, 2026) Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source."}, {"question": "Campaign ads", "answer_html": "<div class=\"bp-yt-gallery-wrapper\" style=\"--bp-yt-card-width: 250px;\">\n<div aria-label=\"Scroll left\" class=\"bp-yt-fade bp-yt-fade-left\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"></div>\n<div aria-label=\"Scroll right\" class=\"bp-yt-fade bp-yt-fade-right\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"></div>\n<div class=\"bp-yt-gallery\"><div class=\"bp-yt-wrapper bp-yt-float-right\" style=\"width: 250px;\">\n<div class=\"thumb embedvideo autoResize\" style=\"width: 258px;\"><!--\n--><div class=\"embedvideo autoResize\" style=\"\"><!--\n--><div class=\"embedvideowrap youtube\" style=\"width: 250px\"><iframe allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"141\" loading=\"lazy\" modestbranding=\"1\" src=\"//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/J-_bNth4uxU\" width=\"250\"></iframe></div><!--\n--></div><!--\n--></div>\n<div class=\"bp-yt-subtitle\">\"If You're Done 'Just Dealing With It' I Hope You'll Join Us\" – Blouin campaign ad, released November 29, 2025</div>\n</div></div></div>\n<p>View more ads here:\n</p>\n<ul><li><a class=\"external text\" href=\"https://www.youtube.com/@NateBlouinforUtah\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube</a></li></ul>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Nate Blouin completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blouin's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading-bio-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI moved to Utah in 2009 after growing up in New Hampshire. I was raised to respect the outdoors and followed my passion for skiing to Utah. You’ll find me enjoying the Wasatch throughout the seasons. I’m committed to protecting these spaces and the quality of life they create, from our trails and snow to the water we drink. My love of outdoor recreation drew me to a career in renewable energy, and I hope to continue that focus in the legislature.\r\n<p>When I moved to Utah, I thought it was temporary. But after my parents followed in 2013, the state became my home. I am a graduate of Salt Lake Community College and completed my studies at the University of Utah. I consider these formative years, and I spent time working for progressive candidates before completing a master’s degree in public policy at Brown University.\r\n</p><p>After completing my education, I worked as an advocate for renewable energy, managing policy and government affairs for an organization that represents large businesses and nonprofits to promote expansion of solar, wind, and other technologies. I’m excited to apply my expertise to finding legislative solutions that will transform Utah into a renewable energy leader.\r\n</p>\n</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading-key-message-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Clean air is a basic right. The pollution that frequently chokes the Wasatch Front is bad for our health and for our economy. We must prioritize policies that reduce emissions both in our neighborhoods and at the source of the electricity that we use. Climate change is a generational problem but we can take action to alter its course. Pass legislation that accelerates the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy on a local and utility level. Consider environmental justice and equity in project siting and access to clean electricity and vehicles. Protect public lands and precious water resources by prioritizing sustainable recreation and smart renewable energy development in places that make the most sense.</li><li>Utah currently has exemplary laws that allow citizens to easily register to vote and to vote by mail. This keeps costs down while maintaining secure elections and encourages high turnout. We must protect this right going forward. Defend Utah’s vote by mail system, which faces threats from conservative Republicans. Strengthen voter-led efforts such as the 2018 citizen initiatives that expanded Medicaid, enabled Utahns to access medical marijuana, and created an independent redistricting commission. Ensure opportunity is equally accessible to Utahns regardless of their race, gender identity or other characteristics that have historically marginalized specific communities.</li><li>Utah is changing rapidly and faces critical decisions as we envision the decade to come. With a young and growing population, affordability is crucial to preserving quality of life. I will focus on supporting Utahns while creating a level playing field to make Utah’s economy work for all. Affordable housing is an imminent need. I support fully funding the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund. The legislature must play a more active role in creating solutions for the homeless. We lag behind in keeping homeless folks in permanent housing and must do better to provide long-term support. Fair compensation for labor and the ability to earn a living wage are basic indicators of a healthy economy. I will work towards a $15 minimum wage.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading1-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt’s an exciting time to be a Utahn. We have the youngest population and are growing faster than nearly all of our peers. At the same time, we face challenges on all sides as a result of a changing climate and global pandemic, and we must act vigorously to align the policies of our state with these realities. Clean air, access to affordable housing and healthcare, and amplifying the diverse voices of our community are all things worth fighting for.<br/><br/>\r\nI will listen to my neighbors and draw upon my lived experience to understand the best path forward on these and other issues. As a renter, holder of student debt, outdoor enthusiast, asthma sufferer, and optimist, I believe that we can face these challenges head-on and come out stronger together. I’m excited to be in a position to lend my ears and my voice in pursuit of these shared goals.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading2-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI look up to leaders who have provided stability to their communities over the past two years as COVID has changed our way of life. Leaders like Jenny Wilson in Salt Lake County, Erin Mendenhall in Salt Lake City, and Joe Biden in the White House have provided balance and common sense in the midst of unprecedented polarization, and while I don't agree with every one of the decisions that any of them has made, I struggle to believe that we would have fared better under different guidance. The pandemic has distracted them from many of their aspirations, but they've managed to protect the health of their communities to the greatest extent possible against strong currents that have tried to derail their efforts.<br/><br/>\r\nI hope that my time in office is marked by more positive overtones, but I will look to their example to understand how to move forward when we face incredible challenges as a state. Despite the difficulty of the pandemic, Utah has an economy that is thriving by many measures and we must strive to use the proceeds of our good fortune and of federal funding to reinvest in the community and build back stronger than we began.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading3-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am intellectually curious and enjoy learning about different issues that affect people's lives. I will keep striving to learn more about the problems faced by my constituents, and will consult diverse stakeholders to identify solutions. I think it's important to keep learning and never feel that you know all sides of an issue, even you're an expert in the field. Someone else is likely to experience it in a different light, and the decision you make won't be the right one if you've left them out. So you need to keep talking and reading to understand all sides to an issue, and that's a quality I possess that I think will strongly influence my success as a legislator.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading4-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tElected officials should always be willing to listen and learn to constituents and experts to deliver results for their communities. I believe the core responsibility is to look out for people first and businesses and other interests are secondary to the basic human condition. If a decision you make means that it's harder for someone to earn a living wage, find an affordable place to live, breath clean air, or access healthcare, you made the wrong choice.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading5-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is your favorite book? Why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI could never pick just one, but right now I'm reading The Power Broker and it's both a monument to the power of government and a strong cautionary tail about the influence a single bad actor can have when they've entrenched themselves in the halls of power and believe that their unilateral decisions are in the best interests of their community.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading6-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI think it is critical to build relationships with other legislators. Relationships, for better or worse, are what drive politics, and particularly as a member of the minority party it is important to develop relationships across the aisle in order to pass legislation. Of course, relationships shouldn't preclude the need to deliver results for constituents and sometimes it will be challenging to see eye to eye, but building relationships allows us to have more direct conversations and operate in good faith rather than on a purely transactional basis.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading7-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat process do you favor for redistricting?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI favor an independent redistricting commission that operates blindly from political influence. I stand fully behind the work of the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and will fight hard to make sure the commission isn't repealed in full and then work to strengthen it in anticipation of the next round of redistricting. Politically-driven redistricting allows politicians to choose their voters and reinforces bitter partisanship and candidates on the fringes, and we must combat this direction in no uncertain terms.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-115509-2022-03-14\" id=\"heading8-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-115509-2022-03-14\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-115509-2022-03-14\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-115509-2022-03-14\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tYes, but compromise means that all parties must take something away from the table that they can be proud of. Compromise does not mean an acquiescence to a more powerful group, it means that everyone gave something up in order to get something they desired. Too often, we see compromise touted when in reality, Republicans in Utah merely overpowered their opponent and we need to build an even stronger movement that recognizes what's happening and pushes back hard against it. There are some issues on which we should not accept compromise–for instance, human rights and attempts by the Utah legislature to ban trans children from playing high school sports.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "\"If You're Done 'Just Dealing With It' I Hope You'll Join Us\" – Blouin campaign ad, released November 29, 2025\nView more ads here:\nYouTube\n\n\nNate Blouin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Blouin's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I moved to Utah in 2009 after growing up in New Hampshire. I was raised to respect the outdoors and followed my passion for skiing to Utah. You’ll find me enjoying the Wasatch throughout the seasons. I’m committed to protecting these spaces and the quality of life they create, from our trails and snow to the water we drink. My love of outdoor recreation drew me to a career in renewable energy, and I hope to continue that focus in the legislature. When I moved to Utah, I thought it was temporary. But after my parents followed in 2013, the state became my home. I am a graduate of Salt Lake Community College and completed my studies at the University of Utah. I consider these formative years, and I spent time working for progressive candidates before completing a master’s degree in public policy at Brown University. After completing my education, I worked as an advocate for renewable energy, managing policy and government affairs for an organization that represents large businesses and nonprofits to promote expansion of solar, wind, and other technologies. I’m excited to apply my expertise to finding legislative solutions that will transform Utah into a renewable energy leader. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Clean air is a basic right. The pollution that frequently chokes the Wasatch Front is bad for our health and for our economy. We must prioritize policies that reduce emissions both in our neighborhoods and at the source of the electricity that we use. Climate change is a generational problem but we can take action to alter its course. Pass legislation that accelerates the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy on a local and utility level. Consider environmental justice and equity in project siting and access to clean electricity and vehicles. Protect public lands and precious water resources by prioritizing sustainable recreation and smart renewable energy development in places that make the most sense. Utah currently has exemplary laws that allow citizens to easily register to vote and to vote by mail. This keeps costs down while maintaining secure elections and encourages high turnout. We must protect this right going forward. Defend Utah’s vote by mail system, which faces threats from conservative Republicans. Strengthen voter-led efforts such as the 2018 citizen initiatives that expanded Medicaid, enabled Utahns to access medical marijuana, and created an independent redistricting commission. Ensure opportunity is equally accessible to Utahns regardless of their race, gender identity or other characteristics that have historically marginalized specific communities. Utah is changing rapidly and faces critical decisions as we envision the decade to come. With a young and growing population, affordability is crucial to preserving quality of life. I will focus on supporting Utahns while creating a level playing field to make Utah’s economy work for all. Affordable housing is an imminent need. I support fully funding the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund. The legislature must play a more active role in creating solutions for the homeless. We lag behind in keeping homeless folks in permanent housing and must do better to provide long-term support. Fair compensation for labor and the ability to earn a living wage are basic indicators of a healthy economy. I will work towards a $15 minimum wage. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? It’s an exciting time to be a Utahn. We have the youngest population and are growing faster than nearly all of our peers. At the same time, we face challenges on all sides as a result of a changing climate and global pandemic, and we must act vigorously to align the policies of our state with these realities. Clean air, access to affordable housing and healthcare, and amplifying the diverse voices of our community are all things worth fighting for. I will listen to my neighbors and draw upon my lived experience to understand the best path forward on these and other issues. As a renter, holder of student debt, outdoor enthusiast, asthma sufferer, and optimist, I believe that we can face these challenges head-on and come out stronger together. I’m excited to be in a position to lend my ears and my voice in pursuit of these shared goals. Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? I look up to leaders who have provided stability to their communities over the past two years as COVID has changed our way of life. Leaders like Jenny Wilson in Salt Lake County, Erin Mendenhall in Salt Lake City, and Joe Biden in the White House have provided balance and common sense in the midst of unprecedented polarization, and while I don't agree with every one of the decisions that any of them has made, I struggle to believe that we would have fared better under different guidance. The pandemic has distracted them from many of their aspirations, but they've managed to protect the health of their communities to the greatest extent possible against strong currents that have tried to derail their efforts. I hope that my time in office is marked by more positive overtones, but I will look to their example to understand how to move forward when we face incredible challenges as a state. Despite the difficulty of the pandemic, Utah has an economy that is thriving by many measures and we must strive to use the proceeds of our good fortune and of federal funding to reinvest in the community and build back stronger than we began. What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? I am intellectually curious and enjoy learning about different issues that affect people's lives. I will keep striving to learn more about the problems faced by my constituents, and will consult diverse stakeholders to identify solutions. I think it's important to keep learning and never feel that you know all sides of an issue, even you're an expert in the field. Someone else is likely to experience it in a different light, and the decision you make won't be the right one if you've left them out. So you need to keep talking and reading to understand all sides to an issue, and that's a quality I possess that I think will strongly influence my success as a legislator. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? Elected officials should always be willing to listen and learn to constituents and experts to deliver results for their communities. I believe the core responsibility is to look out for people first and businesses and other interests are secondary to the basic human condition. If a decision you make means that it's harder for someone to earn a living wage, find an affordable place to live, breath clean air, or access healthcare, you made the wrong choice. What is your favorite book? Why? I could never pick just one, but right now I'm reading The Power Broker and it's both a monument to the power of government and a strong cautionary tail about the influence a single bad actor can have when they've entrenched themselves in the halls of power and believe that their unilateral decisions are in the best interests of their community. Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer. I think it is critical to build relationships with other legislators. Relationships, for better or worse, are what drive politics, and particularly as a member of the minority party it is important to develop relationships across the aisle in order to pass legislation. Of course, relationships shouldn't preclude the need to deliver results for constituents and sometimes it will be challenging to see eye to eye, but building relationships allows us to have more direct conversations and operate in good faith rather than on a purely transactional basis. What process do you favor for redistricting? I favor an independent redistricting commission that operates blindly from political influence. I stand fully behind the work of the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and will fight hard to make sure the commission isn't repealed in full and then work to strengthen it in anticipation of the next round of redistricting. Politically-driven redistricting allows politicians to choose their voters and reinforces bitter partisanship and candidates on the fringes, and we must combat this direction in no uncertain terms. Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? Yes, but compromise means that all parties must take something away from the table that they can be proud of. Compromise does not mean an acquiescence to a more powerful group, it means that everyone gave something up in order to get something they desired. Too often, we see compromise touted when in reality, Republicans in Utah merely overpowered their opponent and we need to build an even stronger movement that recognizes what's happening and pushes back hard against it. There are some issues on which we should not accept compromise–for instance, human rights and attempts by the Utah legislature to ban trans children from playing high school sports.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}]