22 candidates vie to replace Rep. Chris Stewart in House race
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The latest on the elections that will determine who fills the House seat representing Utah’s 2nd Congressional District following the resignation of Rep. Chris Stewart.
Wednesday, June 14
As of the filing deadline Wednesday, 22 candidates had declared their intention to run in the special election to replace Rep. Chris Stewart in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District.
Among those vying for the seat are lawmakers, several former congressional candidates, party officials and business owners. A full list of the candidates is below.
Of the 22 candidates, 13 are Republican, three are Democrats, and six candidates are running with third parties or are unaffiliated.
The deadline for the parties to select a candidate via the convention process, or for candidates to submit the 7,000 needed signatures to qualify for the primary election, is July 5.
The Utah Republican Party convention will take place on June 24 at Delta High School, according to party officials. The Utah Democratic Party will hold a convention to select a candidate on Wednesday, June 28.
Utah lawmakers went into special session Wednesday to finalize the dates and appropriate the money necessary for the special elections to replace Stewart, who will resign on Sept. 15. The primary will be held Sept. 5, and the general election will be on Nov. 21.
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Tuesday, June 13
The list of candidates who have filed to run in the special election to replace Utah Republican Rep. Chris Stewart has grown to 22 individuals and includes current and former Utah lawmakers, GOP operatives and business owners.
On May 31, Stewart officially announced his retirement from Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, an area that includes St. George, South Salt Lake and Bountiful. He will leave his seat on Sept. 15.
In compliance with Utah law, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued a proclamation on June 7 detailing the schedule for special primary and general elections to replace Stewart. The governor’s office released a second proclamation that same day calling for a special legislative session on Wednesday, June 14, to appropriate money for the elections and address other election-related issues.
The window for prospective candidates to declare their candidacy with Utah’s Chief Election Officer, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, closes on June 14. In order to run, candidates must be a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, an inhabitant of Utah when elected, at least 25 years old and pay a filing fee of $267.50.
Here’s a list of who has filed to run for the seat ahead of Wednesday’s cutoff, according to Henderson’s office:
Republican candidates
Greg Hughes is the former speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, where he served from 2003 to 2018. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2020, placing third in the Republican primary.
Becky Edwards is also a former member of the Utah House of Representatives, where she served from 2008 to 2018. Last year, Edwards challenged Sen. Mike Lee in the GOP primary, coming in second with 30% of the vote. She also briefly served on the editorial board for the Salt Lake Tribune before resigning to run for Stewart’s seat.
Celeste Maloy is an attorney in Stewart’s Washington D.C. office. She previously worked as a public lands attorney for the Utah Association of Counties and as a staff attorney for Washington County Water Conservancy District.
Bruce Hough serves on the Republican National Committee as the national committeeman for the Utah GOP and is the cofounder of Nutraceutical Corporation, a nutritional supplement brand.
Jordan Hess is the vice chairman of the Utah Republican Party and the public affairs officer of Washington City.
R. Quin Denning is the founder of Denning Construction and Impact Mobile Apps. He ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Utah House of Representatives in 2022.
Scott Allen Hatfield is a control point operator at the Utah Department of Corrections and a Master of Public Administration student at Utah Valley University.
Bill Hoster is the mayor of Leeds, Utah, a small town in Washington County.
Scott Reber owns a real estate company and previously spent 10 years working in D.C. as a policy advisor, according to his website.
Henry Christian Eyring is an assistant professor of business administration at Duke University, researching cost and quality improvement in health care and education. He is also an advisor for the Salt Lake City-based Cicero Group.
Ty Jensen is a self-described political commentator who ran for Stewart’s seat in 2020 and ran as a write-in candidate in the 2018 Senate election.
Kathleen Anderson is the former communications director for the Utah Republican Party and ran for the 4th district in the Republican primary in 2020.
Remy Bubba Kush filed to run in Wasatch County.
Democratic candidates
Kathleen Riebe is the Utah Senate Minority Whip and has worked as an education technology specialist in the Granite School District for over 20 years.
Guy Warner is the chief technology officer for Monitorbase, a borrower retention system for mortgage lenders that was started in Salt Lake City.
Archie A. Williams III has run for both state and federal office in Utah. He described himself as a pro-life Democrat on a questionnaire for a previous run.
Other
January Walker (United Utah) ran unsuccessfully to represent Utah’s 4th Congressional District in 2022 and is CEO of a clothing brand.
Stone Fonua (United Utah) is a resident of Herriman, Utah, and has ran for office several times, on the Democratic, Republican and Independent American tickets. Most recently Fonua ran as a Republican in the 2018 Senate race.
Bradley Garth Green (Libertarian) is the son of Cedar City Mayor Garth O. Green.
Cassie Easley (Constitution) is a homemaker who has lived in Iron County for twenty years. She ran unsuccessfully for Stewart’s seat in 2022.
Joseph Buchman (Unaffiliated) is the former chair of the Libertarian Party of Utah. He has participated as a candidate in two other Utah special elections — for state treasurer in 2022 and the 3rd Congressional District in 2017.
Perry T. Myers (Unaffiliated) filed to run according to state elections officials.
What’s next?
The deadline for registered political parties to select a candidate via the convention process, or for candidates to submit the 7,000 needed signatures to qualify for the primary election, is July 5.
The Utah GOP convention where delegates will vote to select a candidate will take place on June 24 at Delta High School, according to party officials.
While most candidates are seeking the nomination through both the convention process and signature gathering, Edwards has opted to forgo the former in favor of the latter to earn a spot on the ballot before the Sept. 5 special primary election.
The special general election will be held Nov. 21.
Becky Edwards, Greg Hughes officially enter the race for Chris Stewart’s House seat
Thursday, June 8
Former Utah Speaker of the House Greg Hughes and former state lawmaker and U.S. Senate candidate Becky Edwards both filed paperwork Thursday to run for the congressional seat currently held by Rep. Chris Stewart.
Stewart sent a resignation letter to Gov. Spencer Cox on Wednesday, and the governor announced that a special primary election would be held Sept. 5, and the general election to fill the 2nd District seat would be held Nov. 21.
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In a press release, Edwards spoke about her 10 years of serving in the state Legislature and said she would focus on issues like health care, education, economic growth and environmental sustainability.
“I believe in Utah values and am committed to applying those principles to shape policies that benefit our community,” she said. “I am ready to leverage my experience and unwavering focus to serve the people of Utah at the federal level.”
Edwards had served on the editorial board for the Salt Lake Tribune, but her spokeswoman said she has resigned from that position.
On Facebook, Hughes announced he is running and said he is worried about debt, inflation and corporate handouts for “big Pharma and green energy.”
“The only way to stop this insanity is if capable, unwavering conservatives stand up and serve when they are needed,” he said.
