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Timeline of Utah's 3rd Congressional District special election, 2017
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June 17, 2017 |
August 15, 2017 |
November 7, 2017 |
John Curtis  |
Jason Chaffetz |
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A special election was held in the 3rd Congressional District of Utah for the U.S. House of Representatives. Provo Mayor John Curtis (R) defeated Kathie Allen (D) by 32 percentage points in the election to replace Jason Chaffetz (R), who resigned from office on June 30, 2017.[1][2]
The general election featured a total of six candidates, including Libertarian Joe Buchman, Independent American candidate Jason Christensen, independent Sean Whalen, and United Utah Party candidate Jim Bennett faced each other for the seat.
A Republican primary was held on August 15, 2017, with John Curtis securing the nomination.[3] Curtis took a plurality of the votes and won with 40.5 percent.
A total of 22 candidates, including 13 Republicans and three Democrats, initially declared their intent to run for Chaffetz's seat. The Democratic and Republican state party conventions were held on June 17, 2017. Kathie Allen won the Democratic Party's nomination and Christopher Herrod won that of the Republican Party.[4][5][6][7][8]
- Polls: Curtis led his primary competitors, according to a poll released by Dan Jones & Associates on August 11, 2017.[9]
- Spending: As of August 15, 2017, six organizations have made independent expenditures totaling more than $880,000 in the race. The plurality of satellite spending—approximately 28 percent—went to opposition ads and direct mail campaigns against Curtis.
- Most recent endorsement: Herrod was endorsed by Club for Growth on August 4, 2017.
What were the big questions for voters heading into November 7?
- Will we see Democratic spending in the general election?
- Will John Curtis' campaign strategy change between the primary and the general?
The special election was the sixth special election to the U.S. House in 2017 and the first special election for a U.S. House seat in Utah since 1930. Chaffetz was the first member of Congress in the state's history to announce a resignation from Congress.[10] The district was ranked by The Cook Political Report as the 16th most Republican congressional district in the country.[11] Further, Republicans have won the seat in every general election between 1998 and 2017 with a margin of victory of at least 25 percent, making the Republican convention and primary focal points of the special election.
Utah's 3rd Congressional District is located in the eastern portion of the state and includes Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan, and Wasatch counties as well as portions of Salt Lake and Utah counties.[12]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Major Party Conventions | Primary Voter Registration Deadline | Postmark for primary mail-in ballots | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This page provides a chronology of major fundraising events, campaign ad releases, policy statements, and debates. For an overview of the election, click here.
Primary election
August 15, 2017: Curtis wins Republican primary
Unofficial results showed that Provo Mayor John Curtis could fend off Republican challengers Tanner Ainge and Christopher Herrod in the primary election on August 15, 2017. Curtis' victory allowed him to move on to face five candidates in the general election on November 7, 2017.
August 11, 2017: Poll shows Curtis still in lead
With 29 percent support from Republican registered voters, Provo City Mayor John Curtis had a four-point lead over former state legislator Chris Herrod in the special election in Utah's 3rd Congressional District, according to a Dan Jones & Associates poll. Rounding out the Republican field was Tanner Ainge with 16 percent support.[13]
July 28, 2017: Hinckley Institute of Politics hosts Republican debate
A Republican primary debate sponsored in part by the Hinckley Institute of Politics was held on July 28, 2017. All three primary candidates—Provo Mayor John Curtis, former state legislator Chris Herrod, and business executive Tanner Aing—participated. The candidates discussed health care, immigration, foreign policy, and public lands.[14]
July 12, 2017: Poll released shows Curtis, Herrod, and Ainge would lead Democrat Allen in general election
A poll released by UtahPolicy.com showed all three Republican candidates leading Democratic candidate Kathie Allen, but only John Curtis received a majority of the support. The poll gauged a hypothetical general election between Allen and each of the Republican primary candidates. According to the poll:[15]
- Curtis led Allen 52-25%;
- Herrod led Allen 40-32%; and
- Ainge was ahead of Allen 43-27%.
July 11, 2017: Americans for Prosperity hosts Republican debate
A Republican primary debate sponsored by Americans for Prosperity was held on July 11, 2017. All three Republican primary candidates participated.[16] Questions ranged from taxes and regulations to health care and energy production.[17]
July 10, 2017: Curtis leads in poll comparing three Republican primary candidates
A poll released by UtahPolicy.com showed John Curtis leading with 27 percent, with Chris Herrod trailing at 9 percent and Tanner Ainge placing third at 7 percent. Nearly half (49 percent) of the survey participants said they were undecided. The poll, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, surveyed 199 self-identified Republicans in the 3rd District.[18][19]
June 17, 2017: Party conventions
Democratic Party rules called for a single ballot, with the candidate receiving the most delegate votes being named the winner. Kathie Allen received support from 76 percent of the delegates and advanced to the general election, which was held on November 7, 2017.
Republican Party rules called for delegates to vote until a candidate received support from a majority of the delegates. Christopher Herrod, former member of the Utah House of Representatives, won the convention on the fifth ballot.
April 19, 2017: Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-3) resigns
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-3) announced via a Facebook post that he would not seek re-election to his U.S. House seat in 2018. In the post he said, "For those that would speculate otherwise, let me be clear that I have no ulterior motives. I am healthy. I am confident I would continue to be re-elected by large margins. I have the full support of Speaker Ryan to continue as Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. That said, I have made a personal decision to return to the private sector."[20]
The day after Chaffetz's initial announcement, he said that he might resign early. He said in a text message, "My future plans are not yet finalized but I haven't ruled out the possibility of leaving early. In the meantime I still have a job to do and I have no plans to take my foot off the gas."[21] In May, Chaffetz confirmed that he would resign from office, effective June 30, 2017.[22] He went on to accept a job as a Fox News contributor.[19]
See also
- Utah's 3rd Congressional District special election, 2017
- Special elections to the 115th United States Congress (2017-2018)
- Utah's 3rd Congressional District
- Jason Chaffetz
Footnotes
- ↑ Utah Policy, "Rules for special election to replace Chaffetz set, but lawsuits loom," May 19, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Live Election Results: Utah’s Third Congressional District," November 7, 2017
- ↑ Decision Desk HQ, "Utah 3rd Congressional District- Republican Primary," August 10, 2017
- ↑ Utah Lieutenant Governor, "Congressional Special Election Information," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ KUER NPR Utah. "GOP Candidates For 3rd Congressional District Woo Delegates," May 20, 2017
- ↑ Utah Democratic Party, "2017 Organizing Convention," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ Libertarian Party of Utah, "Home Page," accessed June 13, 2017
- ↑ Independent American Party of Utah, "Home Page," accessed June 13, 2017
- ↑ UtahPolicy.com, "Poll: 3rd District GOP race still up for grabs," July 10, 2017
- ↑ Office of the Lieutenant Governor, "Special Election: Frequently Asked Questions," accessed August 12, 2017
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "Partisan Voting Index arranged by district," accessed June 15, 2017
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ UtahPolicy.com, "Poll shows Curtis still leading in 3rd District GOP primary race but Herrod is closing," August 11, 2017
- ↑ Fox 13, "Republican candidates for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District debate health care, immigration and more," July 28, 2017
- ↑ UtahPolicy.com, "Poll: Curtis, Herrod and Ainge would have an advantage over Democrat Allen in November's election; Only Curtis gets a majority," July 12, 2017
- ↑ Daily Herald, "GOP candidates for 3rd Congressional District to debate next week," July 4, 2017
- ↑ The Salt Lake Tribune, "Two debates set for three Republican primary rivals running for Chaffetz’s seat," July 7, 2017
- ↑ UtahPolicy.com, "Poll: 3rd District GOP race still up for grabs," July 10, 2017
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Desert News Utah, "Poll: Curtis leads Herrod, Ainge in 3rd District Congressional race," July 10, 2017
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Jason Chaffetz Won’t Run For Re-Election," April 19, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "Chaffetz leaves door open to not finish term in House," April 20, 2017
- ↑ Utah Policy, "Rules for special election to replace Chaffetz set, but lawsuits loom," May 19, 2017
