Sen. Curt Bramble, currently Utah’s longest-serving state senator with 23 years and counting in the body, announced Monday he is abandoning his reelection bid and will retire in January
“It is difficult to put into words what serving my friends, neighbors and community means to me. It’s been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Bramble said in a news release. “However, there is a time and a season for all things, and, after careful consideration, it is now time for me to retire at the end of my term.”
The Provo Republican had filed to run for seventh term but faced a tough reelection challenge. Former state Sen. Dan Hemmert, who also served in Gov. Spencer Cox’s administration; former state Rep. Brad Daw; and current Rep. Keven Stratton are all vying for the Republican nomination in the mostly Utah County district.
Bramble, an accountant and hot air balloon pilot in his spare time, was first elected to represent his district in 2000 and developed a reputation for being tenacious, outspoken and sometimes abrasive — which could land him in hot water.
He served as Senate majority leader from 2005 to 2009 and held various leadership positions in national legislative groups, including the National Conference of State Legislatures and the business-backed American Legislative Exchange Council.
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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.