Jessica Estepa

USA TODAY

Rep. Jason Chaffetz may not finish out his current term in Congress.

"I will continue to weigh the options, but I may depart early," Chaffetz, who chairs the House's powerful oversight committee, reportedly told Utah's KSL Newsradio host Doug Wright. "The state needs to figure out how this works."

After the Utah Republican announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018, he made the second jarring announcement via text message on Wednesday.

Chaffetz appeared on Wright's show on Wednesday. Wright asked Chaffetz whether he would leave Congress before his term was over via text after the recorded interview was over, Wright said Thursday on his show.

So what's keeping Chaffetz in office? It turns out there are no set procedures in Utah for how to replace a congressman who leaves mid-term. According to UtahPolicy.com, state law only says that in the event that a U.S. representative leaves office, the governor will issue a proclamation calling for a special election.