Republican Celeste Maloy wins Utah special House election

Republican Celeste Maloy was projected to win a Thanksgiving-week special election for the open U.S. House seat in Utah left vacant by her former boss, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), according to Decision Desk HQ.

She beat out state Sen. Kathleen Riebe (D), the No. 2 Democrat in the Utah Senate, keeping the Utah 2nd Congressional District seat in Republican hands. 

Maloy and Riebe were vying to fill the House vacancy after Stewart resigned earlier this year, citing concerns for his wife’s health. Maloy previously worked for Stewart’s congressional office as chief legal counsel. 

The Republican candidate was largely expected to win the seat Tuesday, given her link to Stewart and the GOP’s success in the state. Former President Trump won Utah in both 2016 and 2020, and voters in the 2nd Congressional District had voted Stewart in to six terms in office. 

But Maloy has also been faced with some controversy in the state because she did not cast a ballot in the 2020 and 2022 elections, according to reporting from The Salt Lake Tribune.  

Maloy will join Utah’s three other House lawmakers, all Republican, and its two GOP senators in the state’s congressional delegation. 

The district spans much of the western and southern parts of the state, plus northern Salt Lake City. Fox 13 South Lake City reported early Tuesday that voter turnout in the special election was notably low, with the race falling just two days before Thanksgiving. 

“Put your frozen turkey in the fridge, then get in your car, drive to your local dropbox, & return your ballot,” Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson (R) said on X.