A Republican from the 3rd Congressional District who sued state officials to declare his candidacy while overseas says he will not pursue further legal action.
Chia-Chi Teng, a professor at Brigham Young University, is teaching in China and had tried to declare his candidacy via videoconference. Election officials did not accept his application because state law requires candidates to file in person.
A third district judge denied Teng’s request for a restraining order on Friday. Teng said Monday he will not appeal the decision to the Utah Supreme Court so as not to delay the election.
Utah is one of two states that require candidates to file for office in person. In a press release, Teng said he will ask the state legislature to change what he called a “bad law.”
Teng unsuccessfully challenged Chaffetz in the 2016 primary.
There are 21 candidates running for the 3rd Congressional District seat. The election is set for November 7 and a primary will take place August 15.
