Republican Celeste Maloy won a special election in Utah to replace her former boss, U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, in a race that will return a woman to Utah’s five-member congressional delegation for the first time since 2019 .
Maloy defeated Sen. Kathleen Riebe, who as minority whip is the second-ranking Democrat in the Utah Senate.
Stewart resigned in September after 10 years in Congress because his wife is ill.
Maloy was Stewart’s primary legal advisor. She had Stewart’s support and that of former Utah U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop and was favored to win in the Republican 2nd District, which stretches from Salt Lake City to the western and southern borders of the ‘State.
Maloy will be only the fifth woman in history to represent Utah in the House. The most recent was Mia Love, who served from 2015 to 2019 and was the state’s first Black congresswoman. Utah has never had a woman in the U.S. Senate.
Rick Bowmer / AP
The election determined the 435th member of the House, meaning it will be the first time the House has had all 435 members since the beginning of this year. Stewart resigned on May 31 and former Resignation of Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island has taken effect June 1st. Democrat Gabe Amo won the special election for this seat on November 7.
Maloy, a southern Nevada native and southwest Utah resident, was the heavy favorite in the Republican-leaning 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from southern and western Utah to Salt Lake City. She will join the state’s three other Republican members in the House of Representatives. The state’s two U.S. senators are also Republicans.
Maloy campaigned on improving security at the U.S.-Mexico border, reining in what she calls “out of control” federal spending, protecting religious freedom and giving Utah more control over the natural resources of its federal territory.
She highlighted her experience working for Stewart during an Oct. 26 debate with Riebe.
“I’ve worked for this district. I’ve solved problems that people in this district have called their congressman and asked for help with,” Maloy said during the debate. “Congress is in trouble right now. Things aren’t going well and we really need someone to come into this state who knows how Congress works.”
Originally from Long Island and living in Cottonwood Heights, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Riebe campaigned on her experience as a teacher. She promised on her website to continue teaching five days a week while campaigning for more affordable housing, support for unions and public education based on “student needs and community values.”
“I’m very connected with my families across the state. I’ve worked to understand the impact of our policies on their family lives,” Riebe said during the debate with Maloy.
Maloy dominated fundraising, bringing in nearly $600,000 and spending more than three-quarters of it in the seven months before the election. Riebe brought in half that amount and spent about 90 percent, according to candidates’ reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
The most recent woman to represent Utah in the United States House of Representatives was Mia Love, who served from 2015 to 2019 and was the state’s first Black congresswoman.
A six-term congressman and U.S. Air Force veteran, Stewart sparked a Republican rush to fill his seat after announcing in May that he was resigning to care for his ailing wife.
Maloy rode a surge of rural support to win a special three-way Republican primary on September 5, defeating former state Rep. Becky Edwards and businessman Bruce Hough.
There was no Democratic primary after Riebe was the first to gain votes at a Democratic convention and unopposed for her party’s nomination.