Celeste Maloy

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Celeste Maloy

| image = Celeste Maloy 118th Congress.jpeg

| caption = Official portrait, 2024

| state = Utah

| district = {{ushr|UT|2|2nd}}

| term_start = November 28, 2023

| term_end =

| predecessor = Chris Stewart

| successor =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|5|22}}

| birth_place = Cedar City, Utah, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| relatives = Cliven Bundy (uncle)
Ammon Bundy (cousin)
Ryan Bundy (cousin)

| party = Republican

| education = Southern Utah University
(BA)
Brigham Young University
(JD)

| website = {{URL|maloy.house.gov|House website}}

}}

Celeste Maloy (born May 22, 1981) is an American politician and attorney who is the U.S. representative for {{ushr|UT|2}}.{{Cite web |title=SUU to D.C. Legal Counsel - Celeste Maloy ('03) |url=https://www.suu.edu/everywhere/stories/celeste-maloy.html |access-date=November 22, 2023 |website=SUU |language=en}}

A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as chief legal counsel to U.S. Representative Chris Stewart and as the deputy county attorney for Washington County, Utah. Prior to her legal career, Maloy worked as a conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.{{Cite web |last=Applegate |first=Julie |title=County responds to BLM draft resource plans, wants comment extension |url=https://archives.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2015/09/09/jla-county-voices-objections-to-draft-resource-plans-wants-comment-period-extension/ |access-date=November 22, 2023 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=BLM releases controversial resource management plans; northern corridor still in question |url=https://archives.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2016/12/22/jla-blm-releases-controversial-resource-management-plans-northern-corridor-still-in-question/ |access-date=November 22, 2023 |language=en-US}}

Early life and education

Maloy was born in Cedar City, Utah, and raised in Hiko, Nevada in a single-wide trailer with five siblings; her mother, Cathy (née Turner) sold Avon products, while her father, Edward Maloy,https://www.deseret.com/2023/7/24/23791698/celeste-maloy-the-country-girl-running-for-congress/ was a volunteer firefighter.{{cite web|url=https://rollcall.com/2023/11/21/utah-district-elects-celeste-maloy-to-succeed-stewart/|title=Utah district elects Celeste Maloy to succeed Stewart|date=November 21, 2023|last=Eskow|first=Nick|work=Roll Call}} She is the niece by marriage of Cliven Bundy and cousin of Ammon Bundy, known for their involvement in the 2014 Bundy standoff. Maloy later graduated from Pahranagat Valley High School in Alamo, Nevada. After graduating high school, Maloy attended Southern Utah University, where she earned her degree in agriculture.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=University Journal |date=March 4, 2018 |title=Leavitt Center's Public Lands Panel |url=http://suunews.net/2018/03/03/leavitt-centers-public-lands-panel/ |access-date=November 22, 2023 |website=SUU News |language=en-US}} She earned a Juris Doctor from J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University in 2015.

Early career

Maloy worked for 11 years as a soil conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Utah.{{Cite web |date=July 25, 2023 |title=Celeste Maloy: The country girl running for Congress |url=https://www.deseret.com/2023/7/24/23791698/celeste-maloy-the-country-girl-running-for-congress |access-date=November 22, 2023 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}

After law school, Maloy worked in Washington County, Utah, as a deputy county attorney, specializing in issues of public land law involving land and water policy. She advocated on behalf of Utah landowners to the United 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 with U.S. Representative Chris Stewart, and in 2019, she was hired by Stewart as chief legal counsel for both his district and Washington, D.C. offices.

U.S. House of Representatives

= Elections =

== 2023 special ==

{{Main articles|2023 Utah's 2nd congressional district special election}}

In June 2023, she announced her candidacy for the special election for Utah's 2nd congressional district after Representative Stewart announced his resignation to care for his wife's health issues.{{Cite web |last=Altimari |first=Daniela |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Special elections in Utah, Rhode Island draw a glut of candidates |url=https://rollcall.com/2023/06/14/special-elections-in-utah-rhode-island-draw-a-glut-of-candidates/ |access-date=November 22, 2023 |website=Roll Call |language=en-US}}{{cite web |date=June 12, 2023 |title=Several candidates file for Utah's second congressional district special election |url=https://kutv.com/news/politics/gallery/four-new-candidates-file-for-utahs-2nd-district-special-election-congressman-chris-stewart-republican-jordan-jess-celeste-maloy-scott-reber-bill-hoster-resignation-filing-deadline?photo=1 |website=KUTV |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Who's in 2nd District race? Field is set for campaign to replace Rep. Chris Stewart |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50663078/whos-in-2nd-district-race-field-is-set-for-campaign-to-replace-rep-chris-stewart |website=www.ksl.com |language=en}} Stewart publicly endorsed Maloy after reports that thirteen Republicans had filed for the contested primary election.{{cite web |last1=Beal-Cvetko |first1=Bridger |title=Chris Stewart endorses chief legal staffer Celeste Maloy to fill his House seat |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/50670330/chris-stewart-endorses-chief-legal-staffer-celeste-maloy-to-fill-his-house-seat |website=KSL |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Tomco |first1=Brigham |date=June 20, 2023 |title=Rep. Chris Stewart endorses Celeste Maloy to replace him |url=https://www.deseret.com/2023/6/20/23767185/stewart-endorses-celeste-maloy |website=Deseret News |language=en}}

On June 24, 2023, Maloy won the Utah Republican nominating convention for the 2nd district in an upset. 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, to win the Republican nomination over former state Representative Becky Edwards.{{cite news |last=Higgins |first=Sean |date=September 7, 2023 |title=Edwards concedes and Celeste Maloy wins Utah's 2nd Congressional Republican primary |work=KUER |location= |url=https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2023-09-05/becky-edwards-celeste-maloy-bruce-hough-utah-cd2-gop-primary-election-results-2023 |access-date=November 21, 2023}} Maloy faced state Senator Kathleen Riebe in the general election on November 21 and won by a comfortable margin.{{Cite web |last=Kimball |first=Spencer |date=2023-11-22 |title=Republican Celeste Maloy wins Utah's 2nd Congressional District |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/22/republican-celeste-maloy-wins-utahs-2nd-congressional-district.html |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=CNBC |language=en}} She was sworn in on November 28, 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-29 |title=Rep. Celeste Maloy sworn in as Utah's newest member of Congress |url=https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/28/23978774/celeste-maloy-sworn-in-congress-utah-newest-representative |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}

== 2024 ==

{{Main articles|2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah#District 2}}

Maloy faced multiple challengers in her first re-election bid, with her leading competitor being Colby 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 June 25, 2024, and Maloy won by such a small margin that a recount was automatically triggered. {{Cite news |last=Bojórquez |first=Kim |date=2024-07-05 |title=Rep. Celeste Maloy holds razor-thin lead in GOP primary re-election bid |url=https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/07/05/rep-celeste-maloy-reelection-razor-thin-lead-gop-primary |access-date=2024-07-05 |work= Axios Salt Lake City}}{{Cite web |last=Bruce |first=Becky |date=2024-07-05 |title=Fewer than 200 votes separate Maloy, Jenkins |url=https://kslnewsradio.com/2114021/fewer-than-200-votes-separate-maloy-jenkins/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=KSLNewsRadio |language=en-us}} On August 5, 2024, Utah Lt. Governor Deidre 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.{{Cite news |last=Beal-Cvetko |first=Bridger |date=2024-08-05 |title=Celeste Maloy still on top after recount in 2nd Congressional District primary |url=https://www.ksl.com/article/51090417/celeste-maloy-still-on-top-after-recount-in-2nd-congressional-district-primary |access-date=2024-08-07 |work=KSL Salt Lake City}}

= Committee assignments =

Committee on Small Business{{cite web |title=Committees and Caucuses |publisher=U.S. Representative Celeste Maloy |website=maloy.house.gov |access-date=January 25, 2024 |url=https://maloy.house.gov/about/committees-and-caucuses.htm}}
Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

= Caucus memberships =

Congressional Colorado River Caucus
Congressional FFA Caucus
Congressional Wildfire Caucus
Congressional Western Caucus

Personal life

Maloy and her family are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.{{Cite web |title=Celeste Maloy is Ammon Bundy's cousin. Would that impact her views on public lands in Congress? |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2023/10/22/celeste-maloy-is-ammon-bundys/ |access-date=2023-12-01 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US}}

References

External links

[https://maloy.house.gov/ Congresswoman Celeste Maloy] official U.S. House website
[https://celesteforutah.com/ Celeste Maloy for Congress] campaign website
{{CongLinks | congbio=M001228 | votesmart=212289 | fec=H4UT02296 | congress=celeste-maloy/M001228 }}
{{C-SPAN|138715}}
{{ballotpedia|Celeste_Maloy}}

{{US House succession box

|state = Utah

|district = 2

|before = Chris Stewart

|years = 2023–present}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States representatives by seniority|years=366th}}

{{USCongRep-start |congresses=118th–present United States Congresses |state=Utah}}

Category:1981 births

Category:21st-century American lawyers

Category:21st-century American women lawyers

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century Utah politicians