David DeMille

ddemille@thespectrum.com

Misty K. Snow, a Salt Lake area Democrat who made headlines last year as the first transgender woman to earn a major party nomination in her U.S. Senate race against Sen. Mike Lee, announced Thursday she plans to run in 2018 for the 2nd Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Chris Stewart.

"My campaign for US Senate was the first time I ever ran for office and I learned so much from that campaign," Snow said. "I am starting this campaign much earlier in the process than my last one because I want more time to connect with voters, to build and train my team, and to fundraise."

Snow made national headlines last year when she became the first transgender person in any state to earn a major party nomination, surprising some by winning the Democratic Party primary.

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Snow, 30, works as a grocery store clerk in Taylorsville, and cited often in the campaign her young age and working class background as reasons she could appeal to regular Utahns.

A vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders, she campaigned for a $15 minimum wage, a single-payer government healthcare system and marijuana legalization, as well as easier access to schools and colleges and campaign finance reform.

Her momentum stopped in the general election though, as Lee, the incumbent Republican, won the race with 68 percent of the vote. Snow earned 27 percent, with two other challengers splitting the remaining ballots.

Stewart, an author, business owner and retired Air Force test pilot, has represented the 2nd District since 2012, winning reelection last year with 62 percent of the vote.

A campaign spokesperson for Stewart declined to comment on Snow's announcement.

The 2nd District stretches from Salt Lake City to St. George, encompassing most of the western side of the state. Stewart has won overwhelmingly each of the past three elections in the heavily Republican region.

The district had an estimated population of 750,000 in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Snow pointed to a close race in a special election in Kansas last week as cause for optimism, noting the heavy GOP majority in that district as well.

"I see this as being a taste of things to come," she said. "If the president remains as unpopular as he is today it will be very possible for a Democrat who has good name recognition and can turn out voters to get elected in Utah's 2nd District."

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