Mike Kennedy
Mike Kennedy, a Republican physician and attorney who has represented Utah's 3rd congressional district since 2025, is his party's nominee for the redrawn 4th district in 2026 against Democrat Jonny Larsen.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Mike Kennedy.
- Born
- February 2, 1969
- Education
- Brigham Young University (BS)
Michigan State University (MD)
J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University (JD)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Mike Kennedy, whose full name is Michael Stephen Kennedy, was born on February 2, 1969. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University, taking two years off during his studies to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He went on to earn an MD from Michigan State University and a JD from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School, taking law classes at night while running his medical practice during the day.
Kennedy lives in Alpine, Utah, where he works as a family doctor for Premier Family Medical Group.
Career
Kennedy won election to the Utah House of Representatives in 2012, when District 27 incumbent John Dougall ran for state auditor.
He won the June 26, 2012, Republican primary with 52.9% and the November 6 general election with 92.1% against Constitution candidate Scott Morgan, and he served in the House from 2013 to 2019.
In 2018 he ran for the U.S. Senate, edging out Mitt Romney at the Republican convention on April 22 with 50.88% of delegate votes, but he lost the June 26 primary to Romney. Kennedy later served in the Utah Senate from 2021 to 2025.
Kennedy announced his candidacy for Utah's 3rd congressional district on January 4, 2024, two days after Representative John Curtis declared for the U.S. Senate.
He won the Republican convention after six rounds of voting, took the June 2024 primary with 39% in a field of five candidates, and was elected with 66.4% of the vote.
Sworn in on January 3, 2025, he serves on the Committee on Natural Resources, where he is vice chair of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, as well as the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
2026 race
Following mid-cycle redistricting in Utah, Mike Kennedy is running in the new 4th district, which is based in western Utah and includes Tooele, Juab, Millard, Sanpete and Sevier counties along with parts of Salt Lake and Utah counties.
The redrawn district initially had two Republican incumbents, Kennedy and Burgess Owens, but Owens announced in March 2026 that he would forgo re-election and withdrew.
Kennedy became the Republican nominee after Isaiah Hardman, Scott Hatfield, Tyrone Jensen and Seth Stewart were eliminated at the convention. In the November 3, 2026, general election he faces Democrat Jonny Larsen, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.