Utah Republican Burgess Owens announces retirement

Savannah Behrmann and Jacob Fulton, CQ-Roll Call on Mar 4, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, announced on Wednesday he would not seek reelection amid redistricting woes in the Beehive State.

“After careful reflection, I have concluded that to continue this work, the next chapter of my mission would be best pursued outside elected office,” Owens posted to social media on Wednesday evening.

Owens, for most of his time in Congress, has represented a district in central Utah that encompasses some suburbs of Provo, Utah County and portions of Salt Lake City. The third-term lawmaker’s announcement comes as Utah in recent years has been caught up in a redistricting fight in federal court – and as Republicans have looked to redistricting in a number of states in hopes of keeping control of the House in the 2026 midterm election.

The state legislature in 2021 redrew Utah’s congressional districts, but a state judge in August ordered the legislature to redraw the map in a way that complies with neutral map-drawing standards required by Proposition 4, a successful 2018 ballot initiative that created independent redistricting procedures.

The Utah legislature in October approved a new congressional map that state Republicans reportedly viewed as the most favorable option to their party. But Judge Dianna Gibson in November rejected the proposal, saying it didn’t comply with Proposition 4 and instead selecting a map that would create a new Salt Lake City-based seat.

The GOP currently holds all four of the House seats for Utah, a reliably ruby-red state. But the new map keeps Salt Lake — a blue bubble in the state — almost entirely within one district rather than being divided among all four and splitting up the heavily Democratic population hub.

A federal court in late February shot down a bid from Utah Republicans to block the court-ordered map, effectively meaning that Democrats will likely gain one seat out of the state. Kamala Harris would have carried the new Salt Lake City district by 24 points last year, according to calculations by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales.

Owens’ departure provides wiggle room for the other three remaining Utah Republicans in the House, as the map for 2026 could have forced a member-on-member primary. Candidates can file to run for the House between March 9 and March 13 – a filing period that was pushed back because of the redistricting uncertainty.

A former NFL star, Owens has been a backbencher in Congress since he was elected to the House in November 2020, beating former Rep. Ben McAdams, a Democrat, by 47% to 46%.

Owens, 74, is a vocal backer and supporter of President Donald Trump, and has focused on promoting conservative culture war issues embraced by his party’s right flank.

From his perch on the Education and the Workforce Committee, and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, Owens has taken aim at higher education diversity initiatives — like the DEI movement — and changes to college sports policies.

“It has been an honor to witness our House leadership unite our body with the Senate and President to deliver some of the most consequential legislation of our time,” Owens said. “History will record that the 2024 trifecta gave our nation a second chance to continue our 250-year journey toward our Founders’ vision of a more perfect Union.”

Owens’ announcement is part of a long line of House Republicans eyeing the exit sign: Thirty-four Republicans have announced they will not be returning next Congress, either retiring, stepping down or seeking another office.

With Owens’ departure, all the incumbent Black Republican House members will also not be in the next Congress: Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida is running for governor, Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas on Tuesday evening lost his bid for the Senate, and Rep. John James is seeking the governorship in Michigan.

Owens was only the third Black student to receive a scholarship at the University of Miami, where he studied biology and played football.

At 22, he was a first-round draft pick for the New York Jets. He earned a Super Bowl ring in 1980 with the Oakland Raiders that he still wears in the halls of Congress.

Football led Owens to religion, when he was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by a teammate. He and his wife joined in 1982.

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