ST. GEORGE — Colin Jack’s appointment to serve as the interim representative for House District 73 was made official by the governor Thursday.
“We’re grateful to Colin for his commitment to serving the public,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a press release. “We’re confident that as a state representative he will serve our state with diligence and integrity, and we look forward to working with him in this new role.”
Jack, a lifelong Republican who has served in various positions within the party, was selected by the Washington County Republican Central Committee to replace former Rep. Travis Seegmiller, who announced his resignation in May.
In a letter to House Speaker Brad Wilson, Seegmiller said an opportunity had appeared for his family that required them to move out of the boundaries of House District 73 (formerly District 62).
If not for his sudden resignation, Seegmiller would have faced Jack in the upcoming primary election. During the Washington County Republican Party’s nominating convention held in April, Jack took 56% of the delegate vote to Seegmiller’s 44%. As 60% and over is needed to secure the party’s nomination, the race was primary-bound at the time.
Despite Seegmiller’s resignation, Jack still faces a primary opponent in Nina Barnes, who is also the vice chair of the Utah Board of Higher Education. Though she failed to gain the delegate’s favor during the April convention, Barnes secured her place on the ballot through signature gathering.
When the county GOP announced a special election to select Seegmiller’s interim replacement, Jack would be the only one to submit an application to the party for consideration. He was subsequently selected by the central committee to fill the House 73 seat for the remainder of Seegmiller’s term, which ends Jan. 1. At that time, whoever wins in the general election in November takes the seat.
Barnes chose not to participate in the special election, citing in a press release that she felt the timing of the special election was suspect and being held for the benefit of party insiders seeking to influence the results of the election. The county GOP responded soon after saying they were following party bylaws related to selecting Seegmiller’s interim replacement and that there was nothing suspicious about it.
Outside of politics, Jack is a professional electrical engineer and currently works as the chief operating officer for Dixie Power in St. George where he has been the chief engineer for 28 years. He has worked in rural electrification for 35 years and is a licensed professional engineer in three states, including Utah.
Jack also consults on electrification projects in developing countries, having worked in 30 countries over the past 30 years. He was also appointed by the governor to serve on the new Grid Resilience Committee earlier this month.
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