ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT
House Majority Leader Mike Schultz will run for Speaker of the House seat
Sep 18, 2023, 3:27 PM | Updated: 8:49 pm
FILE: Rep. Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, speaks during the first special legislative session of 2023 in the House chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Hours after the announcement that House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, would step down in November, House Majority Leader Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said he’d be running to replace Wilson as Speaker.
#BREAKING: Current House Majority leader @mschultz_12 tells me he will be running to be Utah’s Speaker of the House.
The election likely just before Nov. 15th so House isn’t without a speaker when Wilson steps down.
One other rumored name, Rep. Melissa Ballard. @kslnewsradio
— Lindsay Aerts (@LindsayOnAir) September 18, 2023
Schultz said he believes he has good support from the 61 members of the House’s Republican majority.
“As we… work through some of the biggest issues the state is facing, I want to have some input on that. And I want to be able to lead and bring people together,” Schultz said.
Schultz has vowed to also meet with the House Democrats to earn their support.
“I want to go hear what their concerns are, I think when you’re elected Speaker you’re elected Speaker of the whole House,” he said.
Schultz said the election will likely happen near the time Wilson is set to resign, so the body isn’t left without a leader when current House Speaker Brad Wilson resigns.
“He is resigning November 15th At 5 P.M. … so all I can say is it will happen about that time…probably…because we don’t want to go without a Speaker.”
At least one other name has been rumored to be challenging Schultz, Rep. Melissa Ballard, R-Salt Lake City. She did not respond to a call and text from KSL NewsRadio.
