Celeste Maloy

Celeste Maloy
Official portrait, 2024
Celeste Maloy
Born	22 5, 1981
Birthplace	Cedar City, Utah, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Known for	U.S. Representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district
Education	Brigham Young University (JD) Southern Utah University (BA)
Website	[[maloy.house.gov maloy.house.gov] Official site]

Celeste Maloy (born May 22, 1981) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district since November 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Maloy won a special election to succeed Chris Stewart, who had resigned from the seat earlier that year. Before entering Congress, Maloy built a career that bridged natural resource conservation and law, working first as a conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service before earning her law degree and serving as deputy county attorney for Washington County, Utah. She subsequently became Stewart's chief legal counsel in Washington, D.C., a role in which she focused on public lands and natural resource policy. Since taking office, Maloy has been involved in legislative efforts related to energy development, public lands management, and rural policy, and she has assumed a leadership role in the Congressional Western Caucus. She is the first woman to represent Utah's 2nd congressional district.

Early Life

Celeste Maloy was born on May 22, 1981, in Cedar City, Utah. She grew up in a rural setting in southern Utah, an upbringing that shaped her interest in land use, agriculture, and natural resource management. A 2023 profile in the Deseret News described Maloy as "the country girl running for Congress," emphasizing her deep roots in the rural communities of Utah's southwest.

Maloy is a niece of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who became nationally known for his armed standoff with federal authorities over grazing rights in 2014, and a cousin of Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy, both of whom were involved in the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Maloy's familial connection to the Bundys drew media attention during her congressional campaign. Reporting by The Salt Lake Tribune explored the relationship, noting Maloy's family ties while examining her own distinct positions on public lands policy.

Her formative years in Iron County and the broader southern Utah region exposed her to the ongoing debates between federal land management agencies and local communities, issues that would later become central to her professional and political career. Growing up in a family with strong ties to ranching and the land, Maloy developed an understanding of the tensions between federal authority and local interests that characterize much of the political landscape in the rural American West.

Education

Maloy attended Southern Utah University (SUU) in her hometown of Cedar City, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She later earned her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.

Her legal education at BYU provided the foundation for a career that would combine law with natural resource and public lands policy. While at SUU, Maloy participated in discussions and events related to public lands management, an interest she would carry forward through her subsequent professional career. In 2018, she participated in a public lands panel hosted by the Leavitt Center at Southern Utah University, reflecting her ongoing engagement with her alma mater on policy issues important to the region.

Career

Conservation and Legal Work

Before pursuing a career in law, Maloy worked as a conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a division of the United States Department of Agriculture. In that role, she worked with farmers, ranchers, and landowners on soil conservation and natural resource management, gaining firsthand experience with the federal agencies and regulatory frameworks that govern land use in the western United States.

After completing her law degree at Brigham Young University, Maloy transitioned into legal practice with a focus on natural resource and public lands issues. She served as the deputy county attorney for Washington County, Utah, where she was involved in legal matters related to land use planning and natural resource management. Washington County, located in the southwestern corner of Utah and home to St. George, has long been at the center of disputes between local governments and federal land management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

During her time in Washington County, Maloy was involved in the county's responses to federal resource management plans. In 2015, the county voiced objections to draft resource management plans issued by the BLM and sought extensions of public comment periods, reflecting the contentious relationship between local and federal authorities over land use in southern Utah. In 2016, the BLM released controversial resource management plans for the region, including provisions affecting the proposed Northern Corridor highway through protected desert tortoise habitat, an issue that remained a significant point of local debate.

Chief Legal Counsel to Chris Stewart

Maloy later moved to Washington, D.C., where she served as chief legal counsel to U.S. Representative Chris Stewart, who represented Utah's 2nd congressional district. In this role, Maloy worked on legislative and legal matters related to public lands, natural resources, and other policy areas relevant to the district. Her work under Stewart gave her extensive experience with the legislative process and deepened her expertise in the federal policy issues affecting the rural West.

Stewart, who had served in Congress since 2013, announced his resignation in May 2023, citing his wife's health concerns. His departure triggered a special election process to fill the vacancy in the 2nd congressional district, which covers a large swath of western and southern Utah, including St. George, parts of Salt Lake County, and vast stretches of rural terrain.

2023 Special Election

Following Stewart's resignation announcement, Maloy entered the race to succeed him. She was among a large field of candidates who filed for the special election in Utah's 2nd congressional district. Stewart endorsed Maloy for the seat, publicly backing his former chief legal staffer as his preferred successor.

The Republican primary election was held on September 5, 2023. Maloy competed against several opponents, including Becky Edwards, a former state senator who ran as a more moderate Republican, and Bruce Hough. Maloy won the Republican primary, securing the party's nomination for the special election.

In the November 21, 2023, special general election, Maloy defeated her Democratic opponent to win the seat. Roll Call reported her victory, and CNBC confirmed that the Republican candidate had secured the district.

Maloy was sworn in to Congress on November 28, 2023, officially becoming the representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district.

Tenure in Congress

Since taking office, Maloy has focused on issues related to energy policy, public lands management, and rural communities, areas consistent with her professional background and the interests of her largely rural district. She has assumed a leadership role within the Congressional Western Caucus, a bipartisan caucus of members of Congress who represent western states and advocate for policies related to natural resources, public lands, and rural development.

Maloy has been an advocate for geothermal energy development in Utah, co-authoring an opinion piece arguing that Utah could serve as a model for expanding geothermal energy production across the United States. In the piece, published in early 2026, Maloy and co-author Heather Reams highlighted Utah's geological potential for geothermal development and called for federal policies to support the industry.

In late 2025, during a federal government shutdown that extended into its fifth week, Maloy spoke publicly about the need to reopen the government to fund essential programs. She expressed concern about the impact on Utah residents, noting that more than 170,000 Utahns who relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food assistance were at risk of losing benefits.

In January 2026, Maloy held a town hall meeting in St. George, where she addressed local and national issues before constituents. The event drew protesters outside the venue, and attendees inside posed questions on a range of policy topics. The town hall reflected the ongoing political engagement of southern Utah residents with their representative.

Utah Redistricting Lawsuit

In early 2026, Maloy, along with fellow Utah Republican Representative Burgess Owens, became involved in a legal challenge to Utah's court-ordered congressional redistricting map. The two representatives and several county officials filed a lawsuit arguing that a Utah state judge's redistricting decisions should be overturned. The case stemmed from a broader gerrymandering dispute in which Utah courts had ordered a remedial congressional map that created one Democratic-leaning district and three Republican-leaning districts, altering the boundaries that had been in place since the legislature's original redistricting following the 2020 census.

A three-judge federal panel heard arguments in the case in mid-February 2026. The plaintiffs sought to block the court-ordered map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. However, the panel unanimously denied the bid to block the court-ordered map, allowing it to remain in effect for the upcoming elections.

Personal Life

Maloy was born and raised in southern Utah, where her family has deep roots. She is a niece of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher known for his 2014 standoff with federal authorities over grazing rights on public land, and a cousin of Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy, both of whom were involved in the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The family connection was reported by The Salt Lake Tribune during Maloy's 2023 congressional campaign.

Maloy has maintained her connection to southern Utah throughout her career, including during her time working in Washington, D.C. She has spoken publicly about her attachment to rural life and the landscapes of the region. Her background in conservation and ranching culture has informed her approach to public lands and natural resource policy.

Recognition

Maloy's election to Congress in 2023 was covered extensively by national and regional media outlets, including Roll Call, CNBC, the Deseret News, and KUER. Her victory in the special election made her the representative for one of Utah's largest congressional districts by geographic area.

Southern Utah University, Maloy's undergraduate alma mater, has recognized her as a notable alumna, featuring her story as part of the university's profiles of graduates who have gone on to public service and other achievements.

In 2026, Maloy was featured on RFD-TV's Champions of Rural America program, where she discussed her leadership role in the Congressional Western Caucus and her work on behalf of rural communities.

Her congressional profile is maintained through official sources including the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and C-SPAN.