Election day is almost here, and in the special primary election to replace Chris Stewart, three candidates have emerged for the Republican space on the ballot: Celeste Maloy, Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough.
Chris Stewart’s district, the Second Congressional District, covers a large area all the way from parts of Davis and Salt Lake counties in the north to Washington and Kane counties in the south. As such, the elected Representative would be responsible for voices and issues in both urban and rural areas of Utah.
The candidates each have different backgrounds giving them different perspectives on how to address this challenge. And, though Becky Edwards has a bit of a lead among decided voters, there are still a lot who are undecided. Experts are saying, who knows who will win!
Celeste Maloy
Celeste Maloy was the unexpected Republican nominee following the party’s convention back in June. Maloy, who served as Chief Legal Counsel with Chris Stewart, said he was the one who encouraged her to run. She had expressed concern over the effect his retirement would have on the area.
“It’s not every member of Congress that shows up for local issues like that,” Maloy said. “He encouraged me to run. I had never considered it before.”
Despite her inexperience in campaigning, Maloy’s background in public lands management, which she has worked on all of her adult life, made her very familiar with issues going on in Southern Utah. “Whoever represents this district has to represent the district as a whole,” she said.
Becky Edwards
Becky Edwards currently has a lead in the polls, an advantage Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, attributed to her high name ID. Edwards held office for five terms in the state House of Representatives. She also ran for U.S. Senator last year against Mike Lee.
“Becky has a substantial advantage,” Perry said. “She not only has held office before, but has built her name ID through a Senate race.”
Edwards said politics needed “more people who were willing to listen, willing to take vitriol and finger-pointing out of those discussions that are so important to all of us as Utahns and Americans. That’s why I’m in this race. I think we need more of that approach in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
Bruce Hough
Bruce Hough is a businessman who has served several years in chairman and committee positions for Utah GOP and the Republican National Committee.
Hough has repeatedly attacked his opponents for voting on the Democrat side or not voting at all. “It’s basically a deal-killer for so many people who want to vote for the authentic Republican candidate,” Hough told the Deseret News.
Later, in a conversation with KSL News, he stressed the importance of voting, and voting for the right person. “Voting is a privilege,” he said, and a duty and a right.
Voter Information Going into the Special Primary Election
Voters will have until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5 to cast their vote in the municipal and special primary elections at a polling place or to drop their ballot in a drop box. Mailed-in ballots must be postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on September 5.
The municipal and special general elections will be held November 21.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: Celeste Maloy, Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough are the Republican primary candidates to replace Chris Stewart in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District. Courtesy Individual campaign websites.