Michael Stephen Kennedy (born February 2, 1969) is an American politician, attorney, and physician serving as the U.S. representative from Utah’s 3rd congressional district since 2025. He previously served as a Republican member of the Utah Senate from 2021 to 2025 and as a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. Kennedy was a candidate in the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Utah; Although he received the most votes at the Utah State Republican Convention, he was defeated by former Governor of Massachusetts and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in the subsequent primary for the Republican nomination.
In June of 2024, Kennedy won the Republican nomination for Utah's 3rd congressional district with 39% of the vote in a crowded field of 5 candidates despite being outspent 5-1 and 2-1 by the top two competitors. He had previously won the Utah Republican Party nominating convention after six rounds of voting.
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Early life and career
Kennedy earned his BS from Brigham Young University. While a student at BYU, Kennedy took two years off to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He earned his MD from Michigan State University and his JD from Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School while taking law classes at night and running his medical practice during the day. Kennedy lives in Alpine, Utah, where he works as a family doctor for Premier Family Medical Group.
Political career
When District 27 incumbent Republican Representative John Dougall ran for state auditor and left the seat open, Kennedy was selected as one of two candidates from five by the Republican convention for the June 26, 2012 Republican primary which he won with 2,586 votes (52.9%) and won the November 6, 2012 general election with 14,335 votes (92.1%) against Constitution candidate Scott Morgan.
During the 2014 general election, Kennedy faced Democratic nominee William McGree, winning with 6,997 votes (88.4%).
During the 2016 legislative session, Kennedy served on the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Political Subdivisions Committee.
On March 9, 2018, Kennedy distributed a letter to members of District 27 announcing that he would not seek re-election for the Utah House of Representatives. He instead opted to run for the U.S. Senate. On April 22, 2018, Kennedy edged out Mitt Romney at the Republican Convention with 50.88% of the delegate votes. Romney came in a close second with 49.12%, allowing both to compete in the primary on June 26, 2018, but Kennedy would lose the primary to Mitt Romney.
Kennedy drew attention as a vocal supporter of gun rights, even meeting with UtahGunExchange.com, a private gun exchange that would later have a presence at March For Our Lives near the Utah Capitol and the 2018 Chicago Peace March and Rally, where their militaristic vehicle included a replica .50-caliber machine gun.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Kennedy announced his candidacy for Utah's 3rd congressional district on January 4, 2024, two days after the district's Representative John Curtis announced his candidacy for the United States Senate.
Due to mid-cycle redistricting in Utah, Kennedy is running for Utah's 4th congressional district.
Tenure
Rep. Kennedy was sworn in to the 119th Congress on January 3, 2025.
In April 2025, Kennedy traveled to El Salvador and received a tour of Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT), a maximum security prison used by the Trump administration to hold U.S. immigrants removed from the United States, including immigrants like Kilmar Abrego Garcia who were transported to the prison. After visiting the CECOT prison camp, Kennedy did not call for the repatriation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Committee assignments
For the 119th Congress:
Committee on Natural Resources
Subcommittee on Federal Lands (Vice Chair)
Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Subcommittee on Research and Technology
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
Caucus memberships
Source:
Congressional Western Caucus
Republican Study Committee