SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah says he plans to run for Sen. Orrin Hatch’s seat if the 83-year-old Republican decides not to seek re-election next year.
Stewart, a Republican representing Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, told The Salt Lake Tribune (https://bit.ly/2xe85a8 ) on Wednesday that he would support Hatch if he sought an eighth term.
Hatch says he intends to run for re-election in 2018 but has not made a final decision on whether he’ll actually seek another term.
Hatch’s spokesman Matt Whitlock said Wednesday that the senator is still deciding and is focused on a busy legislative agenda. Whitlock says Hatch has great respect for Stewart.
Hatch has been in office since 1977.
He said his 2012 re-election would be his last but did an about face in recent years, saying he was weighing another six-year-term.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, https://www.sltrib.com
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