Global Courant
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Wednesday that the election to replace outgoing U.S. Representative Chris Stewart will take place in the fall, speeding up the timeline prescribed by state law to ensure the six-term Republican seat won’t stay vacant for more than a few months.
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Stewart informed Cox, also a Republican, that he plans to resign on September 15. Cox issued a proclamation setting the primary for September 5 and the general election for November 21.
“This timeline will ensure a smooth and efficient transition with minimal disruption to our election process,” the governor said in a statement.
Stewart, a U.S. Air Force veteran and author, was first elected in 2012. Re-elected in November, he announced last week that he planned to step down to help care for his wife, who he said was ill . While Stewart’s departure will mean one less Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, it is not expected to affect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ability to lead a narrow Republican majority. The district is reliably Republican, and Stewart defeated a Democratic challenger by more than 30 percentage points in 2022.
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The vacancy could spark a frenzy among Utah Republicans, who were not expected to have an empty congressional seat in next year’s election. Only one Republican nominee, former Senator Becky Edwards, has officially announced plans to run for Stewart’s seat.
State officials said last week that, without legislative intervention, state law required at least 90 days before a special election could be held. That will likely be reviewed when lawmakers meet next Wednesday for a special legislative session to allocate funding for the election. The accelerated timeline will also affect local races, which will be moved to coincide with the race to represent Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from St. George to downtown Salt Lake City.
“We can’t afford to lose a quarter of our representation for an extended period of time,” said House Speaker Brad Wilson, referring to Utah’s four congressional seats. “The proposed schedule allows for a seamless transition and only a short period of time without representation.”
