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SALT LAKE CITY — Former Rep. Chris Stewart on Monday weighed in on the race to fill Utah's only open congressional seat by endorsing Iraq War veteran and former Utah County Republican Party Chairman Stewart Peay.
"Stewart Peay is a man of integrity, honor and leadership," Stewart said in a statement ahead of the state GOP's nominating convention which will be held in Salt Lake City on Saturday. "He has been fighting for our country his entire adult life. I want to help him keep fighting. For freedom; for our nation; for us. Please join me in supporting Stewart Peay for Congress."
Peay, who is also an attorney, is one of nearly a dozen Republican candidates for Utah's 3rd Congressional District, after incumbent Rep. John Curtis announced he would run for a seat in the U.S. Senate. The open seat has attracted attention from candidates with a wide array of political experience.
In a statement, Peay said he shared "Stewart's passion for conservative principles and his love of country," noting that Stewart's retirement last year left the state without a representative who had served in the military. Peay spent 12 years in the Utah Army National Guard and served a yearlong deployment in Iraq.
"Utah's veterans and active duty members deserve a reliable voice in Congress who prioritize their interests," he said. "I look forward to continuing Congressman Stewart's successful record of advocating for a strong national defense, border security and taking care of our veterans."
Although endorsements don't guarantee victory, Stewart was well-liked by Republican delegates and has a history of boosting candidates at nominating conventions. Rep. Celeste Maloy, a former staffer for Stewart's office in Washington, won a surprise victory in last year's special convention after Stewart endorsed her as his replacement in the 2nd Congressional District. Maloy would go on to win the general election for Stewart's seat last November.
Peay is hoping Stewart's endorsement will help endear him to delegates at this week's convention, but has also been collecting signatures to qualify for an eventual Republican primary. His campaign has already turned in 6,871 of the necessary 7,000 verified signatures to qualify for the primary, according to the Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, and a spokesman said election officials still have about 500 signatures to count — projecting confidence Peay will surpass the threshold.
Three candidates have already qualified for the June 25 primary — Roosevelt Mayor JR Bird, entrepreneur Case Lawrence and state Auditor John Dougall — and Kathryn Dahlin, a former U.S. Senate staffer, has just over 5,000 verified signatures.
State Sen. Mike Kennedy, former state Rep. Chris Herrod and Salt Lake County chairman of the Utah Young Republicans Zac Wilson have all opted to compete at convention only and must earn at least 40% of the delegate vote in order to advance.
Correction: An earlier version incorrectly referred to Peay as a former Utah Republican Party chairman. Peay served as chairman of the Utah County Republican Party.
