Former Congressman Rob Bishop wants back in. If he pulls it off, he’ll do something no Utah politician has done before.
⏰ Tick Tock
1 day - Last day candidates (except congressional candidates) can file for the 2026 election. (1/8/2026)
13 days - Start of the 2026 Utah Legislature (1/20/2026)
61 days - First day congressional candidates can file to run for the 2026 election. (3/9/2026)
69 days - Neighborhood caucus night. (3/17/2026)
94 days - Utah Forward Party nominating convention (4/11/2026)
108 days - Utah State Republican and Democratic State Party nominating conventions (4/25/2026)
167 days - Utah's 2026 primary election (6/23/2026)
300 days - 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026)
1,035 days - 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028)
Bishop is running for an open seat in the Utah House of Representatives in House District 6, where Republican Rep. Matt Gwynn plans to resign after the 2026 session. If Bishop wins, he would be the first person in Utah history to serve in Congress and then later win a seat in the Legislature—a rare reverse migration from D.C. back to Capitol Hill in Salt Lake.
Bishop served nine terms in Congress from 2003 to 2021. During that tenure he chaired the House Natural Resources Committee from 2015 to 2019.
Before Washington, Bishop served a stint in the Utah House from 1978 to 1994, rising from majority leader to Speaker (1992-1994). He later chaired the Utah Republican Party from 1997 to 2001.
While Utah has never seen a former member of Congress reenter the legislature, Prof. Eric Ostermeier, who runs the indispensable Smart Politics website, sends along some examples of politicians who accomplished the feat in other states.
William Sulzer served in the New York Assembly from 1889 to 1894, where he also served as speaker. He was elected to the U.S. House multiple times from 1895 to 1912, elected governor in 1912, and then impeached and removed less than a year later. He returned to the Assembly for one term in 1914 and was the American Party presidential nominee in 1916.
California’s John Schmitz served in the state Senate both before and after his stint in Congress (1970–1973). He was also the American Party’s presidential nominee in 1972.
Minnesota’s Alec Olson served two terms in Congress (1963–1967), then held a seat in the state Senate (1969–1976) before becoming lieutenant governor in 1976.
Bishop wouldn’t be the first former Utah Speaker to return as a rank-and-file member. Mel Brown, who succeeded Bishop as Speaker (1995-1999), became a backbencher the following year. He resigned from the Utah House in 2000 amid a scandal where he was overheard discussing possible employment with a phone company lobbyist. Brown won back a House seat in 2008, serving until he lost his re-election bid in 2016.