Celeste Maloy | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromUtah's2nd district | |
| Assumed office November 28, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Stewart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1981-05-22)May 22, 1981 (age 44) Cedar City, Utah, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Relatives | Cliven Bundy (uncle) Ammon Bundy (cousin) Ryan Bundy (cousin) |
| Education | Southern Utah University (BA) Brigham Young University (JD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Celeste Maloy (born May 22, 1981) is an American politician and attorney serving as theU.S. representative forUtah's 2nd congressional district since 2023.[1] A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as chief legal counsel to U.S. RepresentativeChris Stewart and as the deputy county attorney forWashington County, Utah. Prior to her legal career, Maloy worked as a conservationist for theNatural Resources Conservation Service.[2][3]
Maloy was born inCedar City, Utah, and raised inHiko, Nevada in asingle-wide trailer with five siblings; her mother, Cathy (née Turner),[4] soldAvon products, while her father, Edward Maloy,[5] was a volunteer firefighter.[6] She is the niece by marriage ofCliven Bundy and the cousin ofAmmon Bundy, known for their involvement in the 2014Bundy standoff.[4] Maloy later graduated from Pahranagat Valley High School inAlamo, Nevada. After graduating from high school, Maloy attendedSouthern Utah University, where she earned her degree inagriculture.[7] She earned aJuris Doctor fromJ. Reuben Clark Law School atBrigham Young University in 2015.[6]
Maloy worked for 11 years as asoil conservationist for theNatural Resources Conservation Service in Utah.[8][6]
After law school, Maloy worked inWashington County, Utah, as a deputy county attorney, specializing in issues of public land law involving land and water policy.[6] She advocated on behalf of Utah landowners to theUnited States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She has continued working with issues of land rights and ownership with the Utah Association of Counties and the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Her work as deputy county attorney in Washington County put her in frequent contact withU.S. RepresentativeChris Stewart, and in 2019, she was hired by Stewart as chief legal counsel for both his district andWashington, D.C. offices.[6]
In June 2023, she announced her candidacy for the special election forUtah's 2nd congressional district after Representative Stewart announced his resignation to care for his wife's health issues.[9][10][11] Stewart publicly endorsed Maloy after reports that thirteen Republicans had filed for the contested primary election.[12][13]
On June 24, 2023, Maloy won the Utah Republican nominating convention for the 2nd district in anupset. However, she still had to face a primary election, as two other candidates had gathered enough signatures to make the primary ballot. Maloy won the most votes in a September 6 primary, winning the Republican nomination over formerstate RepresentativeBecky Edwards.[14] Maloy facedstate SenatorKathleen Riebe in the general election on November 21 and won by a comfortable margin.[15] She was sworn in on November 28, 2023.[16]
Maloy faced multiple challengers in her first re-election bid, with her leading competitor beingColby Jenkins, a telecommunications businessman. Jenkins defeated Maloy at the state convention with 57% of the vote, but Utah law requires that any candidate who receives more than 40% of the vote at convention advance to a primary. The primary was held on June 25, 2024, and Maloy won by such a small margin that a recount was automatically triggered.[17][18] On August 5, 2024,Utah Lt. GovernorDeidre Henderson announced that the recount had confirmed Maloy's victory by 176 votes, allowing Maloy to advance to the general election against Democratic candidate Nathaniel Woodward and Constitution Party candidate Cassie Easley.[19]
Maloy and her family are members ofThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromUtah's 2nd congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 361st | Succeeded by |
| Territorial (1851–1895) |
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| Oneat-large seat (1895–1913) |
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| Two at-large seats (1913–1915) |
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| Districts (1915–present) (3rd district established in 1983) (4th district established in 2013) |
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