Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz may not finish his congressional term, he told a talk radio host on Thursday.
Doug Wright, a host at KSL in Salt Lake City, said on air that Chaffetz told him he was considering quitting Congress ahead of the 2018 elections. The surprising news comes after Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election for his seat, which he has held since 2009.
“I just straight up asked him, I said a lot of people are asking me whether or not you’re going to complete the term,” Wright said during his show.
“The congressman wrote back and said, ‘I will continue to weigh the options but I might depart early,'” Wright continued.
The host added that Chaffetz said that the state of Utah will need to figure out how to fill his seat if he chooses not to finish his term.
In his announcement earlier this week, Chaffetz said he may re-enter politics at some point, though he rules out running for any office in 2018. Some had speculated that the Republican would run to fill Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch’s seat. Chaffetz may be eyeing a run for governor in 2020.