(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Democratic Party’s “believe women” mantra faces another test in Utah, where a top candidate is accused Wednesday of restraining and propositioning women.
Salt Lake City Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez, a Democrat and top candidate for Utah’s 1st Congressional District, is accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward fellow Democrats and a former campaign staffer, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
The accusers — City Council member Victoria Petro, state Rep. Hoang Nguyen, state Sen. Jen Plumb and campaign staffer Maggie Regier — said the incidents occurred at social gatherings before Lopez Chavez was elected in 2023.
Lopez Chavez denied wrongdoing in a lengthy statement on X.
— Eva Lopez Chavez (@evaforutah) April 23, 2026
None of the accusers reported the incidents to police, but said they came forward after what they described as Lopez Chavez’s hypocritical response to a rival candidate’s controversy.
Democratic candidate Nate Blouin faced backlash over past social media posts that appeared to minimize sexual assault between 2009 and 2015. Lopez Chavez demanded Blouin withdraw from the race and described herself as a survivor of sexual abuse.
“Our communities deserve leaders who take these issues seriously — not just in rhetoric but in conduct,” she said. “We cannot excuse behavior — past or present — that trivializes or undermines the seriousness of sexual violence, assault and harassment.”
Now, Lopez Chavez herself is under scrutiny, with Salt Lake City Council Chair Alejandro Puy launching a review into the allegations and protections for current staffers.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Petro said that Lopez Chavez once grabbed her by the throat, “pushed me back against a pillar so that my back was against the wall and told me, ‘The only reason I still f— men is because a woman hasn’t shown me what I really want.’”
Another accuser, Plumb, alleged that Lopez Chavez pushed her against a wall at a party in 2022.
“It absolutely was a sexual advance. She leaned into me, grabbed onto my a–, got up in my face and said in my ear, ‘You’re sure you’re straight?’” Plumb said. “I just pushed her away. Come on. Knock it off.”
Nguyen said that Lopez Chavez once “leaned over” during a car ride and held her shoulders down.
“I said, ‘What are you doing?’ And she said, ‘Kiss me,’” Nguyen said. “She said, ‘I’m not going to get off you until you kiss me.’ I gave her a peck and she got off.”
Regier, who uses they/them pronouns, alleged Lopez Chavez pinned her against a wall and refused to let her leave until a friend intervened.
“Leave Maggie alone,” the friend shouted.
The allegations land as Democrats face growing scrutiny over misconduct within their ranks. They also come days after disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned amid multiple sexual misconduct accusations.
