Source: Utah’s Rep. Chris Stewart will resign
May 30, 2023, 2:55 PM | Updated: 3:38 pm
FILE: Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin - Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jacquelyn Martin - Pool/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — KSL News has learned that Rep. Chris Stewart is planning to announce his resignation.
The information comes from a high-ranking Republican source close to the Congressman. Stewart currently represents Utah’s 2nd Congressional District. Associated Press also confirmed the matter Tuesday.
The six-term Utah Republican will announce on Wednesday that he will likely leave office by the end of the year, leaving an open Republican seat on the House Appropriations and Intelligence committees. The person familiar with the matter spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly prior to the planned announcement.
Under Utah law, Gov. Spencer Cox is tasked with calling a special election to fill a vacancy in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses much of western Utah, spanning from the Salt Lake City metro to St. George.
His departure is not expected to affect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ability to steer a tight Republican majority. The district is reliably Republican and Stewart defeated a Democratic challenger by more than 30 percentage points in 2022.
Stewart, a U.S. Air Force veteran and author, was first elected in 2012 and collaborated with Utah’s Elizabeth Smart on a memoir about her kidnapping. The 62-year-old Stewart was raised as a potential nominee for U.S. director of national intelligence during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
