I'm Michael Farrell—a progressive Democrat, a tax attorney, and a first-time candidate for Congress.
I am not a career politician. I am running to represent Utahns in Congress because too many Americans are working harder than ever and falling further behind, while politicians continue to argue, stall, or enrich themselves. Utahns deserve a Representative who fights for working people with urgency, clarity, and conviction.
Early Life
I was born and raised in Canoga Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, California, by two working parents, alongside my older brother and in a household that always seemed to include a rotating cast of rescued cats and dogs (and a few spiders and geckos). My family was comfortably middle class, back when a household income of around $100,000 could still provide stability and opportunity for a family of four.
I've always loved reading books about history and politics (check out my Goodreads if so inclined), and I grew up knowing I wanted to be a public servant one day. I came of age during the Clinton and Bush presidencies, and saw how decisions in Washington could profoundly impact the lives of working class Americans. And most of the time what I saw was folks in Washington cutting the social safety net, prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy, and spending billions of dollars on foreign wars while American families struggled to get by.
Those lessons stuck with me. I believed government could and should work for working people. I dreamed of one day being a progressive voice in Congress, challenging special interests and working hard against career politicians who had lost touch with the people they were elected to serve.
It's Time for Change
And now, some twenty odd years later, looking at a different cast of villains (neo-liberals and neo-cons have morphed into feckless moderates and MAGAs), we see the same tired playbook of do-nothing-establishments and reverse Robin Hood economics, stealing from the middle class to fund foreign wars and tax cuts for the rich. Middle-class families are still being squeezed, while powerful corporations and special interests continue to benefit from an economy rigged in their favor. Too often, we're told to accept less while those at the top keep taking more and more.
I worked hard in school, earning a degree in economics from UCLA and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. I went on to work as a tax attorney in D.C., Switzerland, and Texas, gaining firsthand experience with the systems—both domestic and global—that shape our economy and our tax code.
In 2020, I met my wonderful wife, Elizabeth, while living in Dallas. She was just finishing up her first year of law school and, on our second date, accidentally let slip that she wanted to move back to Utah upon graduation in 2022. Although I just met her, I knew that our future was together and that Utah would be home. In 2022, we moved to Sugar House, bought our first home, and married in 2023. Today, we both work as attorneys in Salt Lake City, and we’re proud to be building our lives here.
Why Michael?
I’m running for Congress because Utahns deserve leadership that puts people first. We live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, yet we’re constantly told we can’t afford the basics. We’re told universal healthcare is too expensive, even though working families already pay far too much just to navigate private insurance. We’re told clean energy is unrealistic, even though it’s now cheaper than fossil fuels and creates clean, good-paying jobs. We’re told we can’t raise wages, even as corporations post record profits and executives take home record pay.
These aren’t failures of resources, they’re failures of priorities.
As your Representative, I will fight every day to make life more affordable and more secure for working-class Utahns. I’ll fight for universal healthcare because no one should go bankrupt for getting sick. I’ll fight for clean energy because it’s good for our economy and our future. And I’ll fight for higher wages and stronger labor protections because anyone who works hard deserves a fair shot at a good life.
It’s time to reject politics that serves only the wealthy and well-connected. I’m running to build an economy that works for everyone and to make sure our government works for the people it’s supposed to serve.
Enough is enough. Together, we can do better.