Celeste Maloy to be sworn in by Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday night
Nov 28, 2023, 11:32 AM
Rep.-elect Celeste Maloy will be sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening by House Speaker Mike Johnson. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY — Rep.-elect Celeste Maloy will be sworn in to represent Utah’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday evening, just one week after her special election victory.
Maloy, a Republican and staffer for former Rep. Chris Stewart, will be sworn in by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, in a private ceremony about 5 p.m. MST ahead of floor proceedings, a campaign spokesman said.
Her swearing-in will give House Republicans a 222-213 majority — as she fills the seat vacated by her former boss when he stepped down in September — as representatives are expected to vote on a motion to expel embattled Rep. George Santos, R-New York, from the chamber.
A new record for women
Maloy is the fifth woman to represent Utah in the U.S. House of Representatives, and her swearing-in will set new records for the number of women in Congress, 151; women in the House, 126; Republican women in Congress, 43; and Republican women in the House, 34, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.
Former Republican Rep. Mia Love was the most recent woman representative from Utah. She served two terms beginning in 2015. Utah has never had a female senator.
A Cedar City native, Maloy toured Washington, D.C. with a group from Southern Utah University on Monday. She posted a photo in front of the Lincoln Memorial Monday night with the caption: “Night Monument Tour with a bunch of @SUUThunderbirds in preparation for my swearing in tomorrow!”
Maloy joins Congress in the unique position of being elected in an off-year special election. In addition to being the newest representative, she will face the prospect of running for reelection next year.
She has said she hopes to serve on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Armed Services.
Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, the senior member of Utah’s House delegation, will host a reception in Maloy’s honor Tuesday evening.
Night Monument Tour with a bunch of @SUUThunderbirds in preparation for my swearing in tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/CIFTHEBP1s
— Celeste Maloy (@CelesteMaloyUT) November 28, 2023
