Ski Mountaineer Caroline Gleich Recieves Nomination for U.S. Senate Race
Anybody who’s paid close attention to Caroline Gleich, the professional freeskier, likely hasn’t been surprised to see her transition to Caroline Gleich, the aspiring politician. Gleich has been a longtime activist, using her platform as a professional athlete to influence change on social and environmental issues important to her. Notably, she joined Jeremy Jones to testify in front of Congress in 2019 and speak about climate change, pleading for lawmakers to take action and mitigate the conditions she has seen change firsthand.
This week, Utah Democrats nominated Gleich for the upcoming U.S. Senate race with 92 percent of the party’s vote choosing her over challengers Laird Fetzer-Hamblin (5.5 percent) and Archie Williams III (1.8 percent). Since she earned more than 55 percent of the delegates’ votes, Gleich will advance directly to the November general election with her platform focused on environmental protections, social justice, and gender equity.
“I am honored to officially accept the Democratic nomination to be Utah’s next Senator,” Gleich said in a statement. “We’re running a historically strong campaign focused on our families, our freedom, and our future. As your nominee, I’m excited to take our message directly to Utahns as we move into the general election. As a ski mountaineer who has climbed the highest mountains in the world against all odds, I’m no stranger to a tough challenge and am ready to take this campaign to the summit in November. I’m asking Utahns who are looking for a different kind of leader in Washington to join me.”
Gleich is campaigning for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Republican Senator, Mitt Romney, who announced his retirement last September.
“At the end of another term I’d be in my mid-80s. Frankly it’s time for a new generation of leaders,” the 76-year-old politician announced, mimicking a sentiment shared by many Americans who feel the age gap between the nation’s politicians and its general population should be a concern. At 38, Gleich is a full generation younger than the average U.S. Senator in 2024 (64, according to Statista). If elected she’d become one of the youngest lawmakers in a nation becoming increasingly aware of the age gap between its politicians and general population.
Gleich’s announcement for candidacy grabbed a lot of attention earlier this year , raising $390,000 in the first quarter from just 8,000 individual donors. It is reportedly the most significant first quarter fundraising campaign by a Democrat for U.S. Senate in four decades.
“I’m extremely excited and humbled by the groundswell of support we’ve seen since launching our campaign in January. As a ski mountaineer, I’ve learned that we never climb a mountain alone, which is why I’m proud to have a strong grassroots team supporting our climb to the US Senate,” Gleich said.
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