I could tell you I met Celeste Maloy when we both were in law school. That would be true. But this creates two problems to address. You see, some lawyers are no-good slimeballs. Other lawyers, while good or even extraordinarily Christlike people, are liberals. My religious beliefs (as well as personal experience) teach me that there is nothing inherently wrong with being a liberal. But when you’re running in the Republican primary to be a member of Congress representing Utah, being a liberal is an inherent problem.
By admitting I met Celeste in law school and telling you she’s the right choice in the Republican primary, I now have to convince you that Celeste is neither a slimeball nor a liberal. Thankfully, it is an easy task.
The most straightforward way to convince you Celeste Maloy is not a slimeball is to tell you a sentence or two about me: I have Cerebral Palsy, which makes my speech more difficult, my clothes more wrinkled and my mannerisms not quite those of your stereotypical lawyer. As such, my friend circles in law school, with some exceptions, were the people who also bucked the mold of a lawyer. And I’m honored to say Celeste was one of my friends. She was down-to-earth, genuinely funny and personable in all of the best ways. I also was blessed to observe her sense of propriety and social skills. Equally important, I never once thought she would be a congresswoman. Even when I last saw her in March as we both flew in for work from Utah to D.C., the idea never crossed my mind.
You need to know that Celeste neither had the persona nor the ambition to be pinned as someday getting the office she now seeks. I mean, the approval rate of Congress these days is less than 20%.
For Utah to have the opportunity to send an honest woman to Congress with no previous political ambition is a gift, not just to Utah, but to the nation.
And Celeste matches that honesty with her conservative credentials. I again begin by telling you just a bit about me: A number of years ago, I represented the Utah Republican Party before the United States Supreme Court in their quest for more freedom in determining their nominees. (My then-firm unfortunately failed to convince the court to decide the issue.) While it is correct that you should not associate the views of a lawyer with his or her client, you can tell a bit about an attorney by the company he keeps. Yes, I’m a conservative, and my job history is pretty dispositive of that point. And the same is true about Celeste: From the classes she took to the places she interned, there is no doubt that she was a passionate, thoughtful and invested conservative. Given her subsequent work in land use, including for Rep. Chris Stewart, I expect nothing has changed.
In fact, far from being a slimeball or a liberal, Celeste Maloy is a picture-perfect model of the American conservative movement: A strong, conservative woman, not motivated by the things of power or riches. She’s the ideal pick for the 2nd District. Utah is truly lucky to have her running.
Michael Worley
Michael Worley is an attorney who has spent most of his career working for various employers in Washington D.C. He lives with his amazing wife and two incredible sons, ages 7 and 4. His views expressed here are his own, and may not (indeed, probably do not) reflect the views of his church, employer, former employers, wife, or sons.