Riley Owen is a builder.

At 27 years old, he is one of the first conservative Gen Z congressional nominees in the nation with experience in government, industry, and our Armed Forces. Now, he’s running for Congress to keep fighting for the American dream with results, not rhetoric.

Riley is proud to call Utah home. Raised in Southern California, he came to Utah as fast as he could. He comes from six generations of Utahns who still work the land they settled after immigrating from Denmark.

Riley began his studies in International Affairs at Princeton University before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his ancestral homeland of Denmark. 

After returning,  Riley served as a policy analyst at the White House, where he fought to create and protect American jobs. His policy work spanned multiple manufacturing and trade sectors, including shipbuilding, critical minerals, semiconductors, and agricultural products. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he also assisted federal response efforts, coordinating the use of the Defense Production Act to produce and distribute critical PPE, test kits, and ventilators. He left government to return to school and strengthen American shipbuilding capabilities at Fincantieri Marine Group.

After leading the Princeton rugby team and graduating with high honors, Riley was awarded an Eisenhower Scholarship to earn a Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford. During that time, he commissioned as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy Reserve – service he proudly continues today.

Riley continued his work in the private sector building a defense technology startup that now has a substantial impact in supporting Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion. He also established Sentala, a wildlife conservation foundation using AI-enabled drone technology to empower conservationists protecting our planet.

Riley is an avid outdoorsman. You’ll find him biking across the district along the Jordan River and up Emigration Canyon or skiing at Brighton and Alta. 

Riley Owen is running for Congress because he believes Utah deserves a representative who delivers. He is committed to real results on issues that affect every Utahn: affordable housing, paid maternity leave, keeping kids safe online, and saving the Great Salt Lake.