Rep. Stewart touts conservative record, service to state, district in bid for reelection

Photo of Chris Stewart courtesy of Rep. Stewart's Office, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Touting himself as the best person for the job, incumbent Republican Rep. Chris Stewart hopes to return to the U.S. House of Representatives for another term so he can continue to represent Utah’s 2nd Congressional District.

U.S. Congressman Chris Stewart was the featured speaker for the 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at Town Square, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Stewart has served as one of Utah’s congressmen since 2013 and hopes to secure a sixth term. St. George News spoke with the congressman in late September concerning why he felt he was the best suited to continue serving the 2nd congressional district and asked for his stance on various issues.

Why do you think you’re the right candidate for the job?

The 2nd Congressional District is a primarily conservative district, Stewart said, and he touts himself as a conservative leader who has distinguished himself on many issues over the last 10 years in office. Among the issues he mentioned were wild horses, public lands, national security and many others.

“No one has done more for Utah and this district than I have,” Stewart said.

Elected officials serving in state and local government also know they can contact Stewart’s office for aid regarding federal matters.

“The commissioners, the mayors and the people, they see me all the time,” he said. “They know if there’s a problem, the place to go is Chris’ office. We will do anything to help them.”

With people struggling financially as a result of inflation, what do you think about federal aid packages, and how effective have recent packages been in addressing it?

In this file photo, Rep Chris Stewart speaks during Iron County GOP convention, Cedar City, Utah, April 8, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

For the wealthy in the county, inflation may not be an issue many of them care about. For the vast majority of America however, the people care, Stewart said.

“It’s hard for people, hard for the working poor, hard for working Americans,” he said. “This situation was caused by government spending. There’s just no question about that.”

Inflation is likely to impact Americans for years to come due to the government having spent around $10 trillion in two years, the congressman said, adding it will only get worse if the spending isn’t reined in.

“The only solution for this is for the government to quit spending money they don’t have,” Stewart said.

Additionally, he said the Biden administration needs to pass policy that supports domestic energy production rather than stifles it and drives the price of fuel and power up.

As for the idea of financial aid packages to Americans to help deal with inflation, it is not something Stewart supports, and he pointed to the idea being discussed in Europe.

“That’s going to make inflation worse,” he said. “You’re spiraling down the drain if you think the answer to inflation is to give people more money.”

With water shortages and drought becoming a major concern in Utah, especially in the more arid southern regions, what is the federal government’s role in securing water rights for the state?

In this file photo, a view of the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam, Page, Ariz., June 10, 2022 | Photo by David Dudley, St. George News

While state and local government are really the tip of the spear for water policy, Stewart said, the federal government also has a meaningful role to play.

Specifically, it is the government’s role to ensure that a state has full access to its water sources, he said. This was a reference to Utah’s allotted portion of the Colorado River and the related Lake Powell Pipeline project which Stewart supports.

“We’ve worked so hard with BLM (Bureau of Land Management), the Corps of Engineers and the Interior to clear hurdles to the pipeline,” he said. “Government often delays the projects and it’s important for us to put pressure on the government to accelerate that as quickly as possible. We’ve seen some success with that. It’s still frustratingly slow, but it’s made a difference.”

Amid the many social issues being discussed in the country, such as gun legislation or gender identity, which do you think are most important to address for the everyday Utahn?

“There are so many of them – so many of them you think the world has gone bonkers,” Stewart said as he pointed to social issues that Democrats champion and yet he says are at odds with how the majority of Americans feel about them.

In this file photo, Rep. Stewart said the Feb. 23 meeting was the first in-person town hall meeting he’d held in almost two years, St. George, Utah, Feb. 23, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

Stewart pointed to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s answer to a senator asking her what a woman is during confirmation hearings earlier this year. She replied that she couldn’t answer “in this context” and that “I’m not a biologist.”

He also denounced critical race theory and the 1619 Project, as well as the introduction of transwomen into women’s sporting events.

“All of these things make no sense and they are offensive to most Americans,” he said. “Every one of these issues have to be confronted.”

Stewart reserved his highest condemnation for supporters of late-term abortion, saying, “that’s just evil.”


Check out all of St. George News’ coverage of the 2022 election by clicking here.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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