McDonald talks health care in 4th Congressional District race | News, Sports, Jobs

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

Darlene McDonald moved to Utah in 2002 with a dream and a desire to provide a better life for her children.

“When I walked away from the plan and saw the mountains, I was hooked. I was hooked. I was like, ‘This is the place,'” McDonald said.

As a Democratic candidate running in the 4th Congressional District race against Rep. Burgess Owens, McDonald wants to be a voice for all, including people of color.

McDonald acknowledged that living in Utah is not easy for many people of color. He knows many who grew up here or moved here and have left. Utah’s population is approximately 90% white, 3% Asian and 1.5% Native American and African American, according to the US Census Bureau.

“I’ve been lucky,” McDonald said. “I was very lucky. I moved to a great neighborhood. … Not everyone knows. I have American friends who came here and didn’t see a representative and couldn’t build the group, they left. “

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

This is not McDonald’s first time as a member of the 4th District. In 2018, he lost the Democratic convention to Ben McAdams, who was mayor of Salt Lake County, in the party’s nomination. McAdams previously won the championship in 2018, after losing to Owens in 2020.

Because of the experience, McDonald has a new understanding of what it stands for.

“If you represent a district, you have to treat everyone,” he said. “That means your real fans aren’t going to get anything they want, and they shouldn’t. That’s not compromising. That’s not on the table and chasing good money for everybody, and that’s what it’s all about.”

McDonald argues that there is no representation at all from Owens, especially for African Americans. Both McDonald and Owens are Black.

On Friday, Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, reopened two months after a shooting killed 10 African-American shoppers. According to ABC News, the shooter was Peyton Gendron, a white man who was charged with hate crimes.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

“They’re also opening a Tops Grocery store, too [Owens] he never said one word about it,” McDonald said. “It’s not good because he was one of the people who pushed the big replacement theory. There is accountability here and you are putting people’s lives at risk. It’s real and it has to stop. They should be charged and called out. “

McDonald’s campaign website says the 4th District is one of the hardest-hit districts in the country, having taken over much of central Utah and southern Utah County after redistricting.

“When things are changed in this way, where a representative feels protected, they no longer represent,” he said. “Burgess Owens, yes, I’m going to name him, he didn’t run in the primary because he didn’t have to. That’s not going to be good. The Republicans are not going to be OK with that.”

Education, health care and women’s care are some of McDonald’s priorities.

McDonald hopes to tackle bullying in schools, especially bullying based on racism.

“For the kids to know that they are not alone, and that someone has their back is important … especially after the death of Izzy Tichenor,” he said. “We cannot lose our children again. We need to let them know that there are people who have their backs – they listen and care about them. “

Talking about health issues was the first issue that made McDonald want to run for Congress.

Before coming to Utah, McDonald gave birth to twins. One of them died at the age of three due to a serious illness.

“You have to understand, at the time I was a healthy 22-year-old who was supposed to get pregnant, but it didn’t happen. I had to go through Medicaid and all the insurance issues very quickly. Marcus was a very happy baby, but what sustained us were the jobs he got. He needed a lot of care,” she said. .

McDonald explained that the threat to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act during the administration of President Donald Trump changed for him, that he could no longer be “on the sidelines.”

They see women’s health as a problem, but one that needs to be solved. According to the CDC, the death rate for African American women was 2.9 times higher than that of Caucasian women in 2020.

“We spend more on health than any other country, and for no benefit. African American and Hispanic women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth or early. Racial disparities, racism, lack of listening to women and not having an advocate when they go to the hospital it has a lot to do with that.”

To increase the health outcomes, McDonald’s can provide funding for doulas and midwives, to provide more support during pregnancy.

In the US Senate race between Sen. Mike Lee and independent Evan McMullin, McDonald said he would have preferred a Democratic candidate to support him – but told the Daily Herald his vote would be for McMullin and encouraged others to do the same.

“It’s not good what Mike Lee did,” McDonald said. “I have no problem with Evan McMullin. Would I like a Democrat who has a real shot at running? Yes, I am a Democrat. Evan McMullin is 100% correct. Mike Lee cannot be trusted to preserve and protect American Democracy because he tried to undermine it.”

McDonald, Owens and United Utah Party candidate January Walker will be on the Nov. 8 General Election.

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