Republican Celeste Maloy Wins Special Election for Utah's 2nd Congressional District
The special election was called following the resignation of U.S. Representative Chris Stewart (R).
The special election occurred today to fill the vacancy in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District for the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democratic and Republican candidates were selected through primaries in September.
The special election was called after the resignation of Representative Chris Stewart, a Republican, due to his wife’s ongoing health issues. He represented Utah’s 2nd Congressional District from January 2013 to September 2023.
Republican Celeste Maloy has been declared the winner in the special election. The race was called in her favor as she’s currently leading with 57.05% against Democrat Kathleen Riebe with 33.67%. Five additional candidates took the remainder of the ballot. 156,178 votes have been counted.
From May 2019 to June 2023, Maloy served as Chief Legal Counsel to Representative Stewart. His endorsement propelled her to victory at the Republican nominating convention in June and the Republican primary in September. In the primary, Maloy prevailed with 38.8% against former State Representative Becky Edwards with 32.7% and former RNC official Bruce Hough with 28.4%.
From 2016 to 2018, Riebe was elected to the Utah State Board of Education. She currently serves in the Utah State Senate - representing District 9 from January 2019 to January 2023 and District 15 since January 2023. She also serves as the upper legislative chamber’s Minority Whip. She ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the primary.
Utah’s 2nd Congressional District covers the largely rural western and southern portions of the state - including the cities of Saint George and Tooele. It also takes in parts of Salt Lake County, which is divided amongst all four of the state’s congressional districts.
Once Maloy is sworn-in, Republicans will control the U.S. House of Representatives with a 222-213 majority over Democrats, with no additional vacancies at this time. All 435 seats will be up for election to regular two year terms in November 2024.