Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) has officially submitted his resignation letter from Congress.
In a letter to Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) on Wednesday, Stewart said he has decided to resign from his position beginning September 15.
"It has been one of the great honors of my life to serve the good people of Utah in Congress," Stewart said in the letter, who has represented the state's second congressional district since 2013.
The Republican cited his wife's ongoing health issues as why he is resigning. Stewart added that serving in Congress has been "one of the great honors of my life."
NEW: Here’s the letter from @RepChrisStewart that he submitted to @GovCox making official his resignation from Congress, effective September 15. #utpol @KUTV2News pic.twitter.com/DKDvfxy2UR
— Daniel Woodruff (@danielmwoodruff) June 7, 2023
Stewart signaled the possibility of his resignation last month after news broke of his wife's poor health— which was not specified.
Stewart's departure will leave an open Republican seat on the House Appropriations and Intelligence Committees, reducing the GOP majority to just four seats. However, it is not expected to affect the House's GOP majority. The district already has a majority Republican reputation, with Stewart defeating a Democratic challenger by over 30 percentage points in 2022.
Cox now has seven days to issue a proclamation calling for a special election to replace Stewart. Utah law requires those dates to be the same as municipal primary and general elections scheduled for this year unless the state legislature appropriates funds to hold a separate election.