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.
He spent years shaping Utah’s online sales tax policy, sponsored several pieces of anti-abortion legislation and ran bills to loosen the state’s professional licensing in several fields, including easing requirements for mental health counselors in the past session.
In 2014, he sponsored SB54, brokering a deal with election reform proponents to avert a ballot initiative that year and create a path for candidates to gather signatures to secure a spot on the primary ballot, rather than having to go through the convention process.
In 2012, he sponsored legislation reforming the state’s open records law and has helped pass other measures affecting transparency. This year, he was the sponsor of a bill that makes all public official’s calendars private.
Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, called Bramble “an icon and dedicated lawmaker.”
“He never backs away from tackling challenging issues and works tirelessly to find solutions to complex issues,” Adams said. “The Senate and Legislature will feel his absence.”
Bramble said he is committed to “finishing my term strong” over the remaining months.
“Serving as a state senator has been an extraordinary chapter of my life and one I will always be grateful for,” he said. “I am confident that District 24′s constituents will be well represented in my absence.”
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