Nearly 300 Democratic delegates in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District congregated virtually to select current Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Riebe as their party nominee for the special election to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Chris Stewart. She ran away with 85% of the delegate vote, beating two other candidates in a ranked choice voting system Wednesday night.
“This election can get national attention and we need a candidate who can face and capitalize on such attention,” said Riebe during her candidate speech to delegates. “I'm the only state legislator or elected official in the race for either party. I'm committed to the whole district from Farmington and Bountiful to Kanab and St. George.”
Riebe formally accepted the nomination from CD2 delegates after all the votes were tallied. In a statement, she said her campaign will focus on "Utah families, workers, and all those who are more interested in building for a brighter future than clashing over political parties and issues designed to divide us.”
All of the Democratic candidates opted to go the convention route to land on the general special election ballot. That means the race for Archie Williams and Guy Warner is over since they decided not to gather signatures as an alternative way to make it on the ballot. There will be no Democratic primary because Riebe is the only one running, and she will head straight to the general election on Nov. 21.
Diane Lewis, the chair of the Utah Democratic Party, said the special election is an opportunity that should not be missed.
“We are going to work hard and get out the vote so that we can have a Democrat in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “Between now and November, we’re going to talk to voters across the district about the stark contrast between Sen. Riebe’s common sense approach to public service and the Republicans’ extreme agenda.”
The Utah Legislature voted during a special session to change the election dates to replace Stewart faster. According to state law, a special election is required to align with one of four existing election dates, unless the Legislature intervenes. Without switching the dates, the seat would have remained empty until the presidential primary in March 2024.
Across the aisle, the Utah Republican Party picked Celeste Maloy as their convention nominee for the primary. At least two other Republicans Becky Edwards and Bruce Hough, indicated they will try to gather signatures in order to appear on the primary ballot. The deadline to collect 7,000 signatures is July 5.
Riebe will appear on the general election ballot next to United Utah Party candidate January Walker and Cassie Easley with the Utah Constitution Party. The Republican contender will be decided after the Sept. 5 primary election.
It’ll be a tough fight for the Democratic nominee because Utah’s 2nd Congressional District leans Republican. Stewart beat his last Democratic challenger, Nick Mitchell, by 25 percentage points in the 2020 election. The district’s geography presents challenges for candidates as well. It stretches across the state, from parts of Salt Lake and Davis counties to Washington County in the southernmost part of Utah.
Riebe believes she has what it takes to flip the seat from Republican to Democrat. She pointed to when she beat a Republican for a state Senate seat and turned it blue in 2018.
“I can win this election, but I need your help,” she said. “I promise to give you my all on your behalf and that of our party.”
