Utah House Republican Rep. Quinn Kotter, who served his first and only term in the Legislature this year, is leaving the Capitol.
In his resignation letter, Kotter said he was stepping down due to changes in his personal situation.
“Life circumstances have affected my ability to devote my full attention and energies to this position of service, and the stress has begun to severely affect my health and work. I do not feel it fair to the constituents of this district or to the State to serve in a hindered manner since prior to this I have dedicated all my capabilities to serve, and the people deserve such commitment,” Kotter wrote.
“I went to the Capitol with the pure intent of supporting, obeying, and defending the Constitutions of the United States and of Utah, and I worked my hardest to do so. I believe that I can best serve my country and state in other capacities outside the legislature,” he said.
“Rep. Kotter has notified Speaker [Brad] Wilson of his intent to resign from the Utah House of Representatives, effective September 9, 2023,” the Utah House wrote on social media late Wednesday afternoon. “We wish Rep. Kotter health and happiness.”
Kotter did not leave much of a mark in his first and only session on the Hill. He was the only House Republican to vote against the budget lawmakers passed on the final night of the 2023 Legislature.
“Are we too dependent? Are we complicit in allowing the federal government to break the Constitution if we take that money? I’ve thought for a long time how much better off we would be as a state if we could fund the budget on our own,” Kotter said at the time.
The freshman lawmaker narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Weight by 127 votes in the 2022 election.
His replacement will be selected by the Salt Lake County GOP at an undetermined date.
