The Utah Legislature shuffled the 2023 election calendar this week to facilitate a special election to replace Rep. Chris Stewart in Congress, who is stepping down in September because of concerns about his wife’s health.
Typical a municipal election year, the date for the primary has been pushed back by three weeks, from Aug. 15 to Sept. 5 to coincide with the 2nd District timeline. Election Day in November is postponed by two weeks, from Nov. 7 to 21.
Stewart is the second member of Utah’s congressional delegation to quit less than a year after winning re-election. He follows Jason Chaffetz who resigned in 2017.
Here are some of the numbers that could define what is shaping up to be a wide-open contest to find Stewart’s successor:
22 candidates
Stewart’s unexpected retirement resulted in a glut of candidates hoping to take his place in Washington, D.C. The field features current and former elected officials, former candidates taking a second shot at electoral success and first-time politicians.
13 Republicans
The baker’s dozen of GOP candidates this year is one more than the number of Republicans who jumped into each of the three races for open seats in Congress in Utah since 2017.
7,000 signatures
There are five Republicans attempting to grab a spot in the primary election by gathering signatures. Becky Edwards, Bruce Hough, Scott Hatfield, Scott Reber and Remy Kush have until July 5 to turn in 7,000 signatures from registered Republican voters.
The remaining 8 Republican candidates are placing their fate in the hands of the GOP delegates. Those delegates will pick one candidate to send to the primary during their convention on June 24.
Initially, Edwards intended to exclusively gather signatures to advance to the primary election, but amended her campaign filings so that she will also participate in the party convention.
0 Democrats gathering signatures
Kathleen Riebe, Guy Warner and Archie Williams will fight for the nomination at the Democratic convention on July 28. There will be no primary, as the winner will qualify for the November ballot.
367,766 registered voters
Utah’s 2nd Congressional District is the state’s largest, covering more than 40,000 square miles, which is larger than 14 states.
According to data from political data firm L2 Political, there are approximately 186,000 registered Republicans in the district compared to 57,000 registered Democrats. More than 103,000 voters in the 2 District do not belong to either political party.
Washington County is the most heavily Republican area in the district, boasting nearly 59,000 registered voters. Salt Lake County is home to more than half of the district’s registered Democratic voters.
59.7%
That’s how much of the vote Stewart got in the 2022 election. Stewart received at least 59% in each of his six races since his first campaign in 2012.
6 former candidates are taking another shot
An open seat in Congress was tempting enough to lure a half-dozen previously unsuccessful candidates to try again.
Edwards was defeated by Mike Lee in the 2022 Utah GOP U.S. Senate primary.
Republican Greg Hughes lost the 2020 GOP gubernatorial primary
Republican Kathleen Anderson unsuccessfully ran for the 4th District in 2020.
Democrat Archie Williams ran for Congress in 2022 in the 3rd Congressional District.
Walker lost the 2022 race in CD4.
Fonua was the Independent America Party nominee for U.S. Senate in 2016. He ran as a Republican for U.S. Senate in 2018.
2 current elected officials in the race
Democratic State Sen. Kathleen Riebe and Leeds Mayor Bill Hoster are the only current officeholders in the contest.
In 2017, three GOP state legislators jumped into the special election in the 3rd Congressional District following Jason Chaffetz’s resignation. Sens. Deidre Henderson, Margaret Dayton and Rep. Brad Daw were all knocked out at the GOP convention.
The GOP race features a pair of former Utah lawmakers. Hughes served eight terms in the Utah House of Representatives from 2003 to 2018. He was House Speaker from 2015 to 2018. Edwards won election to the Utah House six times, serving from 2009 to 2019.
Republicans Bruce Hough and Jordan Hess held elected positions in the Utah Republican Party, but resigned to run in the race.
2 GOP debates
Just as in 2022, Utah Republicans are hosting two debates next week for their candidates. The first is Tuesday evening at Woods Cross High School, while the second is at Dixie Tech on Thursday evening.
Last year, Utah Republicans opted to host their own pre-primary congressional debates after the Utah Debate Commission refused their requests to have a say in picking the moderators and questions. Party Chair Rob Axson will moderate the debates with questions submitted by party delegates.
Key dates
Utah Republican Party special nominating convention: June 24 at Delta High School
Utah Democratic Party special nominating convention: June 28 (online)
Deadline for candidates to submit signatures: July 5
Primary election: Sept. 5
Special election: Nov. 21
