Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) was once thought to be the man that would oppose Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) from the right. On Tuesday, however, he announced he was resigning from office.
Republicans currently have 222 members in power in the House, and this resignation will reduce that to 221. It means Speaker Kevin McCarthy will need to be even more cautious as he looks for the numbers to pass bills.
According to The Salt Lake City Tribune, Stewart is leaving office due to a serious medical issue that his wife is facing. He hasn't elaborated on the details.
Evie Stewart was featured in a 2013 profile on the Congressman, who had just been elected for the first time. When asked about her husband's absence from home, she explained it was part of their belief system.
"Whenever we sacrifice for our God or our country, whether it's in the military or public service or sacrificing for our family, it binds our hearts to them, and then we love our God and our family and our country more," she said.
The Tribune explained that Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has seven days by law to set the dates for the primary and general election for the seat. It isn't expected to be a competitive district for Democrats, but the longer the absence, the greater the pressure on McCarthy.
"Under state law, those dates will be the same as this year’s municipal primary and general elections unless the Legislature appropriates money to hold an election on a different date," said the Tribune.
Those municipal elections fall on Aug. 15 and Nov. 7, respectively.
Stewart was a 2020 election truther, going so far as to suggest that Democrats somehow cheated in the Georgia runoff election.
