FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 23, 2023

Blue Dogs Endorse Teacher Kathleen Riebe in UT-02 Special Election

Blue Dog Democrat Riebe has more cash on hand than her opponent, D.C. Insider Celeste Maloy, as of the 10/15 FEC reports

Public polling by the non-partisan Utah Debate Commission shows a single-digit race in a district President Trump won by 17 points

When asked by The Salt Lake Tribune, Celeste Maloy declined to differentiate her political views from those of far-right extremists Cliven Bundy and Ammon Bundy, her uncle and first cousin

“Celeste has always been good to me. She has spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C. as a lawyer, and that concerns me,” Bundy said

Today the Blue Dogs announced their endorsement of Blue Dog Democrat and classroom teacher Kathleen Riebe against Republican D.C. insider Celeste Maloy in the special House election taking place in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District on November 21.

Riebe, a working mom who serves in the Utah State Senate and previously served on the Utah State Board of Education, explained to the Desert News why she is a Blue Dog: “I don’t believe in spending foolishly or erratically” … Riebe added that if elected, she would join the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of [10] Democrats focused on fiscal responsibility. “Coming to a very rational decision and having very moderate ideas, I think that is what serves us best,” Riebe said. Utah’s 2nd Congressional District is the least Republican of Utah’s four seats in Congress, earning a Cook PVI rating of R+11 – the same PVI as the seat former Rep. Conor Lamb flipped blue in a 2018 special election. Former President Trump received only 46% of the vote in UT-02 in 2016, highlighting a path to victory for a candidate who can build a cross-party coalition of moderate Republicans, independent voters, and Democrats. 64% of Utah’s 2nd Congressional District lives in the politically-mixed Salt Lake City metro area, where both Riebe and Maloy’s defeated, more moderate Republican primary opponent lives.

The Blue Dogs are a coalition of House Democrats who stand for fiscal stability and national security. Blue Dogs embrace bipartisanship and work to find commonsense solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our country. Blue Dogs have been at the center of the most important bipartisan policy agreements in Congress over the last 25 years. The Blue Dog Coalition is co-chaired by Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, and Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska. Blue Dog PAC is chaired by Rep. Mike Thompson of California.

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