Congressional candidates Maloy, Riebe to meet voters in person in St. George event

Celeste Maloy and Kathleen Riebe, the two major-party candidates vying to replace former U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart in Utah's special congressional election on Nov. 21, are set to take the stage for a candidate forum in St. George on Tuesday.

The live event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center at Utah Tech University.

The Utah Tech Institute of Politics and St. George Area Chamber of Commerce combined to organize the event.

Held in a discussion format, the forum will be moderated by Vince Brown, the chair of the Washington County Debate Commission and director of the Utah Tech Institute of Politics. Brown is scheduled to hold one-on-one conversations with each candidate about the issues that matter to the residents of Southern Utah. He also will solicit questions from the public.

“We are excited for a forum to be held in Southern Utah,” Lesa Sandberg, the chair of the Washington County Republican Party, said in a written statement. “In Congressional District 2, Washington County represents nearly one-third of the voters eligible to vote in this special election. It is highly likely that we will be the deciding factor in the race."

Sandberg voiced support for Maloy, the Republican in the race who made it past a competitive party convention and primary election to emerge as the GOP candidate.

"We are glad that the candidates recognize the importance of education and campaigning to voters in our area," Sandberg said. "We are pleased to welcome Republican Candidate Celeste Maloy back to St. George, where she resided prior to serving with Congressman Chris Stewart the last four years. Celeste has the experience, knowledge and service record to represent Southern Utah and CD2!”

Chuck Good, the chair of the Washington County Democratic Party, said he was excited to see an event feature Riebe, who is vying to become the first Democrat to represent southern Utah since former Rep. Jim Matheson, a seven-term congressman who retired after the state redrew its congressional boundaries after the 2010 census.

“With a proven track record in the Utah State Senate and a relentless dedication to education and community growth, Kathleen Riebe is ready to take her passion and determination to the national stage," Goode said.

Either candidate would become the only woman in Utah's congressional delegation and only the fifth in the state’s history. The state’s most recent female U.S. representative, Mia Love, served from 2015-2019 and was the state’s first Black congresswoman.

Whoever wins would replace Stewart, a six-term Republican and veteran of the U.S. Air Force who set off a scramble to fill his seat when he announced in May he was resigning because his wife is ill. He stepped down Sept. 15 after 10 years in office.

Maloy, an attorney, has argued she would represent the interests of southern Utah, having graduated from Southern Utah University in 2003 and spending time working for Washington County and for the local water conservancy district before leaving to work for Stewart.

Riebe, who was elected to the state senate in 2019, has worked as an education technology specialist with the Granite School District in norther Utah and taught outdoor recreation.

Election officials are mailing ballots to most voters ahead of the Nov. 21 election, which was moved back from the traditional early-November election date to accommodate the race to replace Stewart.

Several other candidates are on voters' ballots for the election, although they are not involved with Tuesday's debate. They include Cassie Easley (Constitution Party), Brad Green (Libertarian), January Walker (United Utah Party), and independents Joseph Geddes Buchman and Perry Myers.

Event details

When: Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Main stage of the M.K. Cox Performing Arts Center at Utah Tech University, at 325 S. 700 East in St. George.

Who: U.S. Congressional candidates Celeste Maloy, a Republican, and Kathleen Riebe, a Democrat. Vince Brown, the director of the Utah Tech Institute of Politics, is scheduled to host.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah Tech to host congressional candidates Celeste Maloy, Kathleen Riebe