Lehi City News
Man with Lehi heritage vies for a seat in congress
Staff Writer | Lehi Free Press
Dr. Kent Stewart Udell, a Utah-born engineer, scientist and educator, is formally advancing his campaign for Congress in Utah’s new Third District this week as he prepares to file his candidacy with Utah’s Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
Udell announced his candidacy on Feb. 19 after filing with the Federal Election Commission, and has spent the past two weeks meeting with voters across the vast geography of District 3, listening to community concerns and laying the groundwork for a district-wide campaign centered on “Bread & Butter, Land & Water, and the Rule of Law.“
“Running for Congress isn’t something I planned,” Udell said. “I retired a couple of years ago and have been enjoying this new phase of life. But when our country is suffering, knowing that I can help, I can no longer stand on the sidelines. I have the capacity to do good, so I feel called to serve my country and the beautiful state of Utah. … Public office is a trust, not a reward, and our laws exist to protect people, not those in power. The separation of powers, limits on authority, and equal rights under the law are non-negotiable for me.”
Udell is an engineer and says he has “spent his career solving complex problems where facts matter and consequences are real.” His work cleaning up contaminated groundwater, restoring federal sites such as the former Naval Air Station in Alameda, and teaching engineering ethics, shaped his simple governing philosophy: “service to the public to meet their needs now and into the future.”
“As an engineer, I identify problems and fix them,” Udell said. “I do not make problems and then promise to fix them.”
Udell was born in Lehi, Utah, and has lived and worked across rural and urban communities of the West. He spent decades as an engineering science researcher and educator at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Utah, collaborating with federal agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. He retired as Professor Emeritus from the University of Utah in 2023 and now lives near Moab.
A lifelong outdoorsman and cousin of former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Udell speaks often about place, stewardship, and responsibility. His campaign priorities – Bread & Butter, Land & Water, Constitutional integrity, Truth and Respect – reflect what he hears most from voters across Utah’s Third District: rising costs, water insecurity, threats to public lands, and growing distrust in government.
“Our disagreements are manufactured distractions,” Udell said. “Most people want the same things: a fair shot, a healthy environment, honest leadership, physical and economic security, and a hopeful future for our children to inherit.”
Udell does not accept corporate PAC money and says his campaign will be powered by individuals who believe expertise, ethics and accountability still belong in Congress.
The campaign will continue a series of listening sessions across Utah’s Third Congressional District in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit kentudellforcongress.com.
