SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Congressman-elect Burgess Owens made his first public comments since his victory over incumbent Ben McAdams in Utah’s 4th Congressional District to ABC4 on Monday.

The race was highly contested and gained widespread attention throughout Utah and the nation.

Owens told ABC4 he had a “classy-classy conversation” with his opponent, Democrat incumbent Ben McAdams. Owens said McAdams congratulated him on his victory and added that he “wanted to make sure this transition is a smooth one.”

In a conversation with ABC4’s Glen Mills, Owens shared he was, “excited about the fact that I have the opportunity to represent this great (4th) district.”

“My goal at the end of the day is that no matter what side of the aisle we find ourselves on, is to be on which is serving and no matter where we stand, to respect, and to know I respect your opinions and at the same time, I’m going to everything I can to really help you be proud of the representation we get back from [Washington] D.C.,” Owens said.

When asked how Owens was going to set the tone of his campaign, congressman-elect Owens said, “… The power of ‘we the people,’ we can agree to disagree, we can have very vigorous debates, but at the end of the day, we care about our country, we care about the endgame. We can come together and move forward.”

RELATED: Representative McAdams congratulates Burgess Owens in virtual press conference

When asked if this particularly diverse “freshman class” of Republicans in Congress was a turning point for the Republican Party, Owens said, “You are seeing a true diversity of look, but the same unity in terms of our values…”.

Owens also said he was particularly excited to work with these newly elected Republicans in Congress, referring to the newly elected congressmen and congresswomen as “all-stars”.

In his closing comments of the interview, Owens spoke on what his future holds as he moves from Congressman-elect to Congressman, saying, “You’re gonna see me all over the place, you’re gonna see a lot of hustle.” Owens goes on to refer to himself as “an open door and an open ear” to all Utahns as he goes on to serve the state in Washington D.C.

Congressman-elect Burgess Owens released the following statement after his victory:

“It was a hard fought race and I am grateful for Ben’s kind words, his service and desire for a smooth transition. I am eager and excited to work on behalf of every constituent in the district and continue to serve our community. It is time to get to work.” Burgess Owens, Congressman-elect.

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