On May 31, Republican Rep. Chris Stewart announced he will resign from the US House citing ongoing health issues with his wife. He will officially resign on September 15. The 2nd Congressional District covers the southwest of the state, including the city of St. George, and extends up into the Salt Lake area.
Rep. Stewart’s announcement opened the door for several candidates to throw their hats into the ring for this solid Republican district. Eleven Republicans in total vied for a spot on the primary ballot at a state Republican party convention on June 24. Celeste Maloy, who serves as counsel for Rep. Stewart emerged victorious from that convention. She also has the endorsement of her boss who she hopes to succeed. Two other candidates who came up short at the convention still qualified for the primary ballot through signature collection, former state party chair Bruce Hough, and former state Rep. Becky Edwards.
On the Democratic side, three candidates competed for a spot on the primary ballot at their convention. State Senator Kathleen Riebe overwhelmingly won the backing of her party there and is not facing a primary challenge. She will face the winner of the Republican primary along with several third-party and independent candidates in a November 21 general election.
Elections in Utah are largely conducted by mail, but Election Day vote centers will be open until 8 p.m. (MDT). Election results will start to come in after that, and we will have them for you here.