Chris Stewart, 6-Term Utah Republican, Resigning From Congress

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah Republican Chris Stewart is resigning from his seat in the narrowly divided U.S. House of Representatives.

He said in a statement on Wednesday that he had decided to retire due to his wife’s health.

His resignation gives Utah Gov. Spencer Cox seven days to schedule a special election to fill his vacancy under state law.

Though Stewart’s departure means one less Republican in Congress, it is not expected to affect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ability to steer a tight Republican majority.

The district is reliably Republican and Stewart defeated a Democratic challenger by more than 30 percentage points in 2022.