--- description: Chaffetz did not give a lengthy explanation for the decision, only citing a personal decision to return to the private sector. title: Jason Chaffetz Will Not Run for Reelection to Congress image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9132cfc418a2e6d5/69887bf9524fc0b2fcdf6940/congress-committee-darnell-earley-flint-water-subpoena.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Congress](/tag/congress/) ## Congress Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Jason Chaffetz Will Not Run for Reelection to Congress in 2018  by [Alana Abramson](/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 19, 2017 4:26 PM CUT  Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, speaks to members of the media after a closed House Republican election meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, speaks to members of the media after a closed House Republican election meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015.Andrew Harrer—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Alana Abramson](/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 19, 2017 4:26 PM CUT Republican [Rep. Jason Chaffetz](http://time.com/4231995/marco-rubio-ted-cruz-jason-chaffetz-nevada/ "undefined"), who heads the House Oversight Committee, will not run for reelection in 2018. The Utah Congressman wrote on Facebook that he had made a personal decision to return to the private sector, claiming that he was confident that he would have been reelected by a wide margin. “For those that would speculate otherwise, let me be clear that I have no ulterior motives,” Chaffetz said in a statement posted on his [Facebook page.](https://www.facebook.com/JasonChaffetz1/posts/10158423022140234 "undefined") “I am healthy. I am confident I would continue to be re-elected by large margins. I have the full support of Speaker Ryan to continue as Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. That said, I have made a personal decision to return to the private sector.” **MORE:** [_Why I Called Out Jason Chaffetz on Planned Parenthood_](http://time.com/4693313/jason-chaffetz-health-care-coverage-iphones/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") Chaffetz, who has served several terms in Congress, said he chose to announce his decision now to give other candidates the proper time period to build a successful campaign. Since [President Trump](http://time.com/4746226/presidents-show-trump-university/ "undefined") took office, Chaffetz, who flip-flopped on the endorsement of the President retracting it after the [“Access Hollywood” tape](http://time.com/4715090/donald-trump-defamation-lawsuit-constitution/ "undefined") but subsequently announcing he would vote for him, has faced [angry constituents](http://time.com/4676825/democratic-resistance-tea-party/?iid=sr-link4 "undefined") at town halls in his district. In January of 2016, he told the [Deseret _News_](http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865644777/Rep-Jason-Chaffetz-eyeing-a-new-title----governor.html "undefined") he would consider running for governor of Utah in 2020. “I’m not going to be here forever. I would take a serious, serious look at running for governor,” he told the paper. “I want to go as hard and fast as I can in the House and then go home.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4746471/jason-chaffetz-reelection-congress/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4746471/jason-chaffetz-reelection-congress/"},"headline":"Jason Chaffetz Will Not Run for Reelection to Congress in 2018","datePublished":"2017-04-19T16:26:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:29:47.997Z","description":"Chaffetz did not give a lengthy explanation for the decision, only citing a personal decision to return to the private sector.","url":"https://time.com/4746471/jason-chaffetz-reelection-congress/","keywords":["Congress","jason chaffetz","onetime","2018 election"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9132cfc418a2e6d5/69887bf9524fc0b2fcdf6940/congress-committee-darnell-earley-flint-water-subpoena.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alana Abramson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9132cfc418a2e6d5/69887bf9524fc0b2fcdf6940/congress-committee-darnell-earley-flint-water-subpoena.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"House Republicans Vote To Pick Their Party's Nominee For Speaker","caption":"Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, speaks to members of the media after a closed House Republican election meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015.","creditText":"Andrew Harrer—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4746471/jason-chaffetz-reelection-congress/","name":"Jason Chaffetz Will Not Run for Reelection to Congress in 2018"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Republican Lawmaker: Buy Health Insurance Instead of a New iPhone","description":"Rep. 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