A Utah legislator is officially stepping down after winning the Cottonwood Heights mayoral election earlier this month.
Utah Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights, formally announced her resignation from the House of Representatives on Thursday, following this week’s election certification that confirmed she ousted incumbent Mike Weichers. Her resignation triggers a process for the Utah Democratic Party to fill her House District 41 seat.
The party announced on Friday that it has opened its vacancy notification and candidate application period, which will continue through Dec. 4. Interested candidates must submit their application through the party, must be over the age of 25, a U.S. citizen, a Utah resident for at least three years and a resident of the district for at least six months.
A special election among eligible state delegates within House District 41 will take place on Dec. 6, where they will use ranked-choice voting to select Bennion’s replacement in the House, party officials said. The results are expected to be certified and sent to the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office for finalization later that day, ahead of the next legislative session, which begins on Jan. 20, 2026.
“We thank Rep. Bennion for her service and her commitment to the people of House District 41. She has been a remarkable legislator and the Legislature’s loss is Cottonwood Heights’ gain,” said Brian King, chairman of the Utah Democratic Party, in a statement. “This process ensures continuity of representation, transparency and a fair election among the duly elected delegates of the district.”
Bennion was first elected to the House in 2020, representing a district that includes Cottonwood Heights, as well as parts of Murray, Holladay and the communities within the Cottonwood canyons.
She defeated Weichers after securing approximately 58% of the vote in Cottonwood Heights’ mayoral election. Bennion told KSL earlier this month that she will miss working on statewide housing and water issues, but she plans to address unlicensed short-term rental houses and other city issues when she begins her mayoral term next year.
“We can address this in a healthy way for the owners and our community,” she said.