Special general election ballot begins to take shape as Utah Democrats select nominee

Delegates to the Utah Democratic Party’s convention selected state Sen. Kathleen Riebe as their nominee for the 2nd Congressional District’s special election to replace retiring Rep. Chris Stewart.

The vote took place Wednesday night after the three Democratic candidates, Kathleen Riebe, Guy Warner and Archie A. Williams III each took five minutes to introduce themselves and deliver their pitch to 200 delegates attending via video call.

Following the speeches, a link was sent to the 667 credentialed delegates who were given two hours to place their vote on a ranked-choice ballot.

Riebe received 85.6% of the vote, to Warner’s 12% and William’s 1.8%.

“I’m looking forward to a campaign focused on Utah families, workers, and all those who are more interested in building for a brighter future than clashing over political parties and issues designed to divide us,” Riebe said.

Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, is the Utah Senate Minority Whip and has worked as an education technology specialist in the Granite School District for over 20 years.

In her message to delegates, Riebe focused on her experience working with diverse viewpoints as a school teacher and as a current state lawmaker — the only one to run, she pointed out, in either major party.

“This election is an opportunity our party can’t afford to waste,” she said. “We need a candidate that can take advantage of that.”

Guy Warner is the chief technology officer for Monitorbase, a borrower retention system for mortgage lenders that was started in Salt Lake City. He said he wanted to run a Democratic campaign that emphasized that Democratic values are Utah values, including being pro-family.

Archie A. Williams III has run for both state and federal office in Utah. He said he has helped the Democratic Party in Utah for 35 years and that he was the only candidate of the three who could win because of his pro-life stance.

“You have to pick a Democrat that can win. Only a pro-life Democrat can win,” he said, citing former Rep. Ben McAdams.

Riebe will be the Democratic Party’s nominee in the special general election facing off against the Republican Party’s nominee, as well as the nominees from the Utah United Party, Utah Libertarian Party and Constitution Party.

There will be no Democratic primary election because none of the candidates are gathering signatures.

“Unlike the Republican party, we are emerging from our convention united behind our nominee and ready to hit the ground running in the general election,” the Utah Democratic Party said in statement.

The Utah GOP’s nominee is still up in the air, as two candidates, Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough, appear likely to gather enough signatures before the July 5 deadline to necessitate a Sept. 5 primary election. There is also controversy as to whether the GOP convention nominee, Celeste Maloy, is eligible to run as a Republican given that her state voter registration was not active at the time she filed for candidacy.

The United Utah Party selected January Walker as the party’s nominee to advance to the general election. Walker, who ran unsuccessfully to represent Utah’s 4th Congressional District in 2022 and is CEO of a clothing brand, defeated fellow candidate Stone Fonua in a delegate vote, 81% to 19%, on Tuesday.

“We are making a difference by running candidates and participating in elections,” said Ladd Johnson, United Utah Party Chair. “So many moderate voters who feel disenfranchised in Utah politics are on our side. It’s great to have a candidate like January who is focused on building consensus for people who are tired of the extremism in politics.”

The Utah Libertarian Party advanced Bradley Garth Green, the son of Cedar City Mayor Garth O. Green, to the general election in an uncontested vote last Saturday.

The Constitution Party of Utah will hold its nominating convention on July 1.