Candidates for Utah’s 4th District face off in the state debate

Republican Rep. Burgess Owens faced Democratic candidate Katrina Fallick-Wang at the University of Utah on Thursday in a bid to win the support of voters in Utah’s 4th Congressional District.

The first question was why each candidate is qualified for the role and why they want the role.

Owens said he feels Utah is one of the few remaining states that still upholds the values ​​he grew up with of faith, family and free-market education.

Fallick-Wang said she is not a politician but is qualified for Congress because she knows what it is like to be a hard-working mother and family woman in Utah.

The candidates were then asked how they would use their votes to benefit the Fourth District in a likely divided Congress.
Fallick-Wang responded that although she is new to the political scene, she would use her voice in Congress to do what is best for Utah’s families.

Owens discussed the importance of standing up for Utah values.

“Of course it comes down to being able to communicate, reaching across the aisle and being respectful, but always understanding what your bottom line is, what values ​​you represent and what you are fighting for,” he said.

LGBTQ+ rights were a contentious topic during the debate, and the candidates engaged in a spirited argument on the topic.

Fallick-Wang said one of the main reasons she started running for Congress was to protect LGBTQ+ rights, mentioning that she and some of her family members are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Even though we have some legislators who behave in very hateful ways, most Utahns love and support them,” she said.

Owens shared the opinion that many people have accepted that some of their friends and family members are gay, but that a line is crossed when people come out as transgender. He added that it complicates the definition of man and woman.

His concerns included the “injustice” of trans women playing women’s sports and of children coming home from school and discussing transition.

“Let us continue to embrace each other according to our sexual preferences. That’s fine,” Owens said. “Let’s not force something on the rest of us that doesn’t have common sense.”

Fallick-Wang responded that young children should not be denied the opportunity to play on a mixed sports team if there are not enough girls on an all-girls team. She said she understood the argument for elite sport, but it was “hindering the future” of young children.

Owens continued to push that it was unfair for women to compete against men and that there should be a fair tone for children from a young age and that young boys should be taught that it was not okay to beat up girls.

In his closing statement, Owens said it is important to continue values ​​and traditions so that younger generations can grow up like past generations.

Fallick-Wang continued to talk about how she is, above all, a family woman, mother and sister.

“Politics is too important to be left to the politicians. I’m not a politician; I am a mother, I am a daughter and I am a family member here in Utah,” Fallick-Wang said.

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