Show Us The Money

Michael Farrell, a Democrat running for Utah's 1st Congressional District, raised $313,062 through June 3, according to his latest campaign finance report. But nearly 80 percent of that money came straight from Farrell's own wallet. He loaned his campaign $200,000 and contributed another $50,000 of his own money. Individual donors gave $42,909. No political action committees or party committees contributed anything to his race.

Farrell's campaign spent $274,058 during the same period, leaving $39,004 cash on hand. The campaign still carries $200,000 in debt from Farrell's personal loan, which remains unpaid. No outside spending committees have supported his candidacy.

Candidate Rankings

Among all federal candidates running in Utah in the 2026 cycle, Farrell's haul places him well below the state's top fundraisers. Utah's 2026 federal candidates have collectively raised more than $100.6 million. Farrell's $313,062 represents less than one-third of one percent of that total.

The top three fundraisers in the state far outpace him. Blake Moore raised $2,286,492.29 and had $1,949,408.27 in cash on hand. Ben McAdams raised $1,916,636.13 with $686,252.58 on hand. Celeste Maloy raised $1,177,361.28 with $256,061.96 on hand. Each of these candidates has raised between six and seven times what Farrell has collected.

Incumbents vs Challengers

Incumbents in Utah are raising money at a significantly higher rate than challengers and open-seat candidates. Farrell, running as a challenger with no incumbent status, reflects a broader pattern: non-incumbents tend to rely more heavily on self-funding to stay competitive in early campaign stages.

Among Utah's congressional candidates, Republican candidates have raised a combined $5,359,512.10 across 9 candidates. Democratic candidates have raised $3,472,334.05 across 15 candidates. This disparity in both total dollars and candidate count shapes the competitive landscape across the state's federal races.

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Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of June 3, 2026.

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