According to a Republican source familiar with the situation, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) has decided to resign from Congress.
On Tuesday, Stewart’s plans were originally reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Tribune reports that Stewart’s resignation might come as soon as this week, further weakening the Republicans’ already precarious hold on the House majority. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has had trouble in the past getting his party to agree on legislation, most recently on the deal he negotiated with the White House to increase the debt ceiling, and this vacancy could make that task much more difficult.
If Stewart were to resign, a special election would be called. Utah’s Republican governor, Spencer Cox, would have a week to decide when the state’s primary and general elections would be held.
Stewart has served as the representative for Utah’s 2nd congressional district since 2013. In the most recent election, in 2022, he was re-elected with a margin of nearly 30 percentage points against his Democratic opponent, Nick Mitchell.
A message left with Stewart’s office seeking comment went unanswered.
