Maloy, Hough, Edwards to debate 10 times in 12 days across Utah
The three Republicans vying for the party's nomination in the race to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart in Congress are going to get plenty of debate stage time ahead of the Sept. 5 primary election.
In emails sent to supporters on Tuesday, the candidates announced they would be holding a series of 10 debates in 10 different counties across the state in the next two weeks, including in Washington, Iron and Kane counties.
The debates are slated to include all three candidates: Celeste Maloy, a former Washington County deputy attorney who worked for Stewart; former Republican National Committeeman Bruce Hough; and former state Sen. Becky Edwards.
The first nine debates were all scheduled in smaller-population areas across the state, including an Aug. 5 debate in St. George and an Aug. 9 debate in Cedar City:
Friday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m.: Farmington City Building (160 South Main Street, Farmington)
Saturday, Aug. 5 at 6 p.m.: Washington County School District Offices (121 West Tabernacle, St. George)
Monday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m.: Kanab Center (20 North 100 East, Kanab)
Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.: Panguitch High School (390 East 100 South, Panguitch)
Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m.: Church Auditorium at Southern Utah University Student Center
Thursday, Aug. 10 at 6 p.m.: Beaver Opera House (81 East Center Street, Beaver)
Friday, Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m.: Delta High School (50 West 300 North Road, Delta)
Saturday, Aug. 12 at 6 p.m.: Sevier Valley Center (800 West 200 South, Richfield)
Monday, Aug. 14 at 6 p.m.: Grantsville Fire Station (26 North Center St, Grantsville)
A 10th and final debate is scheduled to be held in Salt Lake County and be broadcast by KSL, although the specific date and time were not yet scheduled.
"I appreciate my opponents’ willingness to accept my challenge to debate vigorously throughout the district," said Maloy, who proposed the barnstorm-style series of debates as a way to reach different parts of the geographically large district. "Republican primary voters, including those who live off the Wasatch Front, deserve opportunities to compare and contrast conservative values of those seeking to fill this critical GOP vacancy."
Stewart's unexpected resignation set off a rush in Utah as Republicans lined up to vie to succeed him in the deeply conservative district spanning from St. George to downtown Salt Lake City. Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced a special election this year to fill the seat for the remainder of Stewart’s term.
State law allows candidates to qualify for the primary election ballot in two ways, either through their party's nomination or, for a congressional election, through gathering 7,000 signatures.
Maloy, who had worked as Stewart's legal counsel, won at the party's state nominating convention in June. Her candidacy was later questioned after the Salt Lake Tribune reported that her voter registration with the Republican Party had become inactive because she hadn't voted in recent elections while living in Virginia and working for Stewart. The party ultimately nominated her anyway, with Henderson's backing.
Hough and Edwards both gathered enough signatures to make their way onto the primary ballot.
Whichever Republican emerges from the Sept. 5 primary will face off against State Sen. Kathleen Riebe, whom Democrats nominated at their convention last month. The special election to replace Stewart is scheduled for Nov. 21.
Utah's 2nd Congressional District leans heavily Republican. Stewart defeated Democrat Nick Mitchell by more than 25 percentage points in 2022.
This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Candidates to replace Rep. Chris Stewart to debate 10 times in 12 days
