GOP delegates elect Celeste Maloy to ballot for CD2 special election
Jun 24, 2023, 8:41 PM | Updated: Aug 25, 2023, 2:16 pm
Celest Maloy won the GOP’s support to be placed on the CD2 special election ballot to replace the retiring Rep. Chris Stewart. (Lindsay Aerts/KSL Newsradio)
(Lindsay Aerts/KSL Newsradio)
DELTA, Utah — In an unexpected twist, delegates in Utah’s Second Congressional District elected Celeste Maloy to the primary special election ballot on Sept. 5, 2023.
Maloy becomes the first person to qualify for the ballot to replace Congressman Chris Stewart, R-Utah. A Republican primary will be held so long as any one of the five candidates who’ve elected to gather signatures qualify by July 5.
Maloy won in five rounds of voting to earn the delegate vote at the Utah Republican Party’s special convention Saturday.
The nail-biter came down to Maloy and Greg Hughes in the final round of voting. After Jordan Hess was eliminated, he joined Maloy on stage to endorse her to loud cheers from delegates.
It was a turning point in the convention because Maloy was trailing Hughes ahead of the final round of voting and Hess’ votes put Maloy over the top.
The convention started with six-minute speeches from each of the 11 candidates. Party Chair Robert Axson announced that one candidate, Ty Jensen, withdrew due to work commitments.
The top vote-getters in each of the rounds were Greg Hughes, Celeste Maloy, and Jordan Hess.
The first person eliminated was Scott Hatfield in round one, followed by Bruce Hough and Kathleen Anderson, then Henry Eyring and Jordan Hess who were eliminated in the following round.
Candidates Scott Reber, Quinn Denning, and Bill Hester chose to bow out and endorse other candidates when they knew they couldn’t pull the votes.
The primary election is Sept. 5, and the General Election to replace Stewart is slated for Nov. 21.
Rep. Chris Stewart has announced his resignation in May citing concerns about his wife’s health.
In a statement, Stewart said:
It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve the good people of Utah in Congress,” Stewart said. “My wife and I have made so many dear friends and memories throughout our journey. I can say with pride that I have been an effective leader for my beloved home state, and I’m honored to have played an important role in guiding our nation through some troubled times. But my wife’s health concerns have made it necessary that I retire from Congress after an orderly transition can be ensured.
