This is a live article and will be updated throughout the night.
Former President Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States. After winning Pennsylvania and Wisconsin late last night, voters elected a convicted felon to the White House.
“I think [Trump’s presidency will] be very good for the state of Utah,” Gov. Spencer Cox told media on Wednesday morning. “I think you will see that we’ll have an opportunity to really unleash the economy, the private sector. We’ve been succeeding as a state despite the headwinds that we’ve received from administration who has made it constantly difficult.”
Cox also emphasized the importance of connecting with others and fighting division.
“Spend some time with people around us, especially those who are different than us, we will soon learn that our differences aren’t nearly as big as the people on social media and cable TV and people running these campaigns are trying to make us believe,” he said. “So to those who are sad today, that’s okay. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be sad or disappointed, but don’t be a fatalist. Believe in yourselves. Believe in this country.”
The Daily Utah Chronicle spoke to students at the Hinckley Institute of Politics’ Election Results Watch Party on Nov. 5 and they emphasized the importance of students using their voices by voting.
“I think it’s super important for us all to vote, especially us that are younger because it’s our future and the futures of our children that we are voting for,” said Wren Jackman, a senior writing and rhetoric major.
The watch party was lively and had many tables set up including one where students could predict the direction swing states would go in. Whoever had the closest accuracy by the end of the night would win a prize. There was also a photo booth with cardboard cutouts of Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris and a table run by Students for Dignity where students could pick up a bingo card, fill it out and return it to get a treat.
In the caucus room of Gardner Commons, there were projector screens set up, one which had CNN projected and one with Fox News projected. In the main lobby of GC there are screens playing local election results. Students could choose a colored cup with the choices being blue, red or white to show their party.
Helen Hull, political science major at the U, pointed out that it’s unlikely students will know the results of the election as soon as they might like.
“I’m trying to prepare myself for the long haul, we’re not going to know right away [who wins],” she said. “It’s not just going to be a couple-hour process.”
There were also international students who expressed that though they couldn’t vote, they were excited for the election results and that it was their first election in the U.S.
U.S. Senate
The Senate race in Utah has already been called for Rep. John Curtis by AP News. He was running against Democratic challenger Caroline Gleich to replace Mitt Romney in the United States Senate. Wednesday morning’s results showed Curtis ahead by 30 percentage points.
Gleich released a concession speech moments after AP called the race for Curtis, though no votes had been released by Utah.
Curtis, a Republican, currently represents Utah’s 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives. His campaign has had a heavy focus on states’ rights, anti-abortion activism and affordable housing.
Gleich’s campaign has also focused on affordable housing, with added emphases on environmental activism, pro-choice activism and the impact on students after the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion departments in Utah public schools.
Students can read more about both of the candidates here.
Utah’s Governor’s Race
AP News has called the gubernatorial race for incumbent Republican Gov. Spencer Cox who was running against Democratic challenger Brian King.
Wednesday morning results showed Cox ahead by 26 percentage points.
“We feel so fortunate to have been able to serve four years as an administration serve the great people of Utah,” Cox said. “We’re proud of what we were able to accomplish with with so much collaboration all across the state, and we can’t wait for for the next four years.”
Cox’s campaign highlights his achievements from his first term and outlines his priorities for a potential second term. According to the governor’s campaign website, Cox works to prioritize “educational excellence,” the economy, health improvements, protecting rural areas and “disagreeing better.”
King promoted public education, proposing increased teacher pay, higher per-pupil funding and the repeal of the voucher program. He also supports expanding vocational training and the free school lunch program.
Rep. Phil Lyman ran a write-in campaign. Lyman lost to Cox in the Republican primary election in June by over 37,000 votes. Afterward, he petitioned the Utah Supreme Court to toss out the results of the GOP primary and remove Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson from office. He cited his win in the GOP convention last April. The court rejected his petition.
U.S. House District 1
Incumbent Republican Rep. Blake Moore is ran to keep his seat in the House of Representatives against Democrat Bill Campbell and Libertarian Daniel Cottam.
Moore was declared the winner by AP late last night. He won by 31 percentage points.
Moore has served one term in the House already, where he created a Debt and Deficit Task Force and introduced a slew of legislation relating to taxes and family welfare. Moore has also advocated for protecting the Second Amendment and supported the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Campbell works as the chief financial officer for Autoliv, an automotive safety supplier. He has also worked closely with organizations such as the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity. His platform has focused on reducing the cost of housing for current owners and for first-time buyers. He’s also promoted investing in community-wide benefits like creating safer streets and revitalizing distressed neighborhoods.
Cottam is a bariatric surgeon in Salt Lake City. According to KSL, Cottam would end the death penalty, support tax incentives for electric vehicles and encourage more charter schools.
U.S. House District 2
Incumbent Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy ran against three candidates to secure her seat in U.S. House District 2. Maloy has served a partial term in the House of Representatives, making the 2024 election her first incumbent race. She won her first term in a special election to replace Rep. Chris Stewart in 2023. In her time in the House, Maloy has been pro-Israel, joining a group of 15 Republican senators in a trip to Jerusalem this past April. She has voiced support for a lawsuit raised by the state of Utah regarding control of public lands.
Challenging Maloy from the Democratic party was Nathaniel E. Woodward. A lawyer by trade, Woodward has served on the Carbon County Democratic Party commission in Price, Utah. If elected, Woodward hopes to work on progressive legislation on housing, education and medicine.
AP called the race for Maloy late last night, and as of Wednesday morning she won by 26 percentage points.
U.S. House District 3
After incumbent Rep. John Curtis announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate, Republican Utah state Sen. Mike Kennedy and Democrat Glenn J. Wright announced their candidacy for the open seat in District 3.
AP called the race for Kennedy last last night. He leads over Wright by about 30 percentage points as of late Wednesday morning, with an estimated 65% of votes.
Kennedy has served in the Utah House of Representatives for six years, before spending the past two years in the Utah Senate. According to Sen. Kennedy’s campaign website, before his career in politics he worked as a family physician. Kennedy has campaigned on reducing inflation, border control policies and advocating for legislative term limits.
Democratic candidate Glenn J. Wright has served on the Summit City Council for the past six years. A Vietnam veteran, Wright centered his campaign around the issues of climate change and veterans’ affairs.
U.S. House District 4
Incumbent Republican Rep. Burgess Owens has served in the U.S. Senate since 2021. During his time in office, Owens has served on the House Education Committee and Infrastructure Committee.
AP called the race for Owens early Wednesday morning. With an estimated 61% of votes counted as of late Wednesday morning, Owens leads Fallick-Wang by nearly 30 percentage points.
According to his campaign website, he is a “staunch supporter of the pro-life movement,” co-sponsoring the Life at Conception Act, which would expand “protection of the unborn under the 14th Amendment.”
Challenging Owens is Democrat Katrina Fallick-Wang. After earning her college degree, Fallick-Wang worked as a web developer before turning to politics. Although Fallick-Wang has no previous political experience, her main issues of focus are reproductive rights and environmental issues.
State Senate District 10
Republican Kyle Erb is challenging incumbent Democrat Luz Escamilla in the race for the Utah Senate’s District 10 seat.
Unofficial results say Escamilla won the fight to keep her seat by about 15 percentage points.
Escamilla, a U alum, serves as the state Senate minority leader. She assumed office in 2008 as the first Latina and first immigrant elected to Utah’s Senate.
Escamilla’s policies have focused on working families. She’s worked on access to healthcare, food security, transportation, childcare and clean air.
Erb is a project manager, and has run off a platform prioritizing family, limited government and economic growth, according to his campaign website. He told the Salt Lake Tribune that he’d support banning abortion after six weeks, reclaiming federal land for housing and exploring multiple kinds of energy production.
Senate District 10 encompasses the west side of Salt Lake City, part of West Valley City and the Salt Lake International Airport.
State Senate District 3
Incumbent Republican Rep. John Johnson is facing Democrat Stacy Bernal for Utah State Senate’s 3rd District race.
According to unofficial results, Johnson won the race against Bernal, securing another term in the Senate. He led Bernal by about 15 points.
Johnson assumed office in 2023. This election will be his first as an incumbent. During the last legislative session, Johnson sponsored a bill that would require higher education institutions to create a school for general education. According to his campaign website, the issues he’s focusing on include reviving the economy post-COVID-19, reducing taxes and government spending and supporting the right to bear arms.
Bernal is the founder of Awesome Autistic Ogden, an event to celebrate neurodiversity in northern Utah. She’s also a member of the Ogden School Board.
According to her campaign website, Bernal is focused on government accountability, reducing taxes where possible and using a balanced approach to address problems with housing and development.
District 3 covers North Ogden, Huntsville and Coalville.
State House 22
Democrat incumbent Jennifer Dailey-Provost and Republican Steve Harmsen are the candidates running for Utah State House District 22, which includes the University of Utah campus and student housing.
According to unofficial results, Dailey-Provost pulled ahead of Harmsen by a landslide of 60 points, winning the race.
Dailey-Provost was elected into the Utah legislature in 2018. During her service she prioritized improving healthcare, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and protections, improving air quality, addressing the opioid crisis and environmental preservation.
Harmsen does not have a website or a social media presence. However, he has answered some questions leading up to Election Day. Harmsen has expressed his support for transitioning energy generation facilities to natural gas and nuclear power and his opposition to banning abortion after six weeks. He has also recommended systems to assist property owners in recycling rainwater and paying farmers to grow more water-efficient crops.
Students can read more about both candidates here.
State House 12
Republican incumbent Mike Schultz is running against Democratic challenger Sharon Hilton in Utah’s 12th House District, which includes Hooper, Roy and part of West Haven. Schultz was elected to the Utah State Legislature in 2015, and has served as Speaker of the House since November 2023.
Schultz has won over Hilton by over 40 points according to unofficial results.
During his time in the Legislature, Schultz has focused on initiatives increasing funding for Utah students, conserving Utah’s water supply, investing in transportation infrastructure, balancing the budget and cutting taxes.
Hilton has worked as a teacher and real estate agent. During her candidacy, she has prioritized responsible housing development, expanding senior resources, developing small businesses, protecting the environment and investing in Utah’s infrastructure.
State House 16
Incumbent Republican Rep. Trevor Lee is looking for re-election against Democrat Zeaid Hasan for Utah’s 16th House District. Lee took office in 2023 and serves on several committees in the Utah House of Representatives.
Lee has pulled ahead of Hasan by nearly 30 points according to unofficial results, securing Lee this election.
According to a recent Salt Lake Tribune interview, Lee supports using coal, water charges based on usage, cutting housing regulations and banning abortion. He also backs budget flexibility for income tax use and legislative power to amend ballot initiatives. Hasan did not respond to these questions.
According to Hasan’s website he is interested in keeping communities safe, lowering taxes and supporting first responders and teachers. He is an aerospace engineer and a reserve in the United States Air Force.
Utah’s 16th House District represents Davis County.
State House 25
Democrat Incumbent Angela Romero and Republican challenger Richard Nowak are the candidates for Utah’s 25th House District. Romero assumed office in 2013 and serves as the Minority Leader in the Utah Legislature.
In the lead by about 30 points according to unofficial results, Romero secures his victory against Nowak.
During her time in the Legislature, Romero has prioritized advocating for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, improving the environment, supporting education, providing mental health resources and ending homelessness.
Nowak has no apparent campaign website. However, he has answered some questions about his perspectives in an article by the Salt Lake Tribune. He said that he supports environmental initiatives such as transitioning to solar or thermal energy and the use of rain barrels for water conservation. Additionally, he does not support an abortion ban after six weeks or a state constitutional abortion ban, however, he does support some restrictions on reproductive health care “to ensure safety and health.”
State House 4
Democrat Kris Campbell is challenging incumbent Rep. Kera Birkeland for Utah’s House District 4 seat.
Unofficial results place Birkeland as this race’s winner. She’s secured another term in the House by nearly 25 points.
During the last legislative session, Birkeland sponsored H.B. 257. The bill requires individuals to use bathrooms that correspond to their sex assigned at birth. She also sponsored H.B. 11 in 2022, which prohibits K-12 students from participating in gender-designated sports that don’t correspond with their sex assigned at birth.
Campbell, a transgender man, is the program director at Mountain Meditation Center. He’s also a part of leadership in Park City’s LGBTQ+ Task Force. He told the Salt Lake Tribune that he’d support flexible housing options to combat Utah’s housing crisis, and that he wouldn’t support limits on IVF treatments or abortion.
House District 4 encompasses parts of Morgan, Rich and Summit County.
Amendments B & C
Out of the four initial constitutional amendments set to be on the ballot this year, two are up for Utah voters to decide on: Amendment B and Amendment C.
Amendment B would increase the amount of money public and charter schools in Utah receive from the state’s permanent State School Fund. Currently, only 4% of the fund is distributed to schools. This amendment would raise that cap to 5%.
Unofficial results report that both amendments have been voted in. Amendment B secured over 600,0000 votes as of late Wednesday morning, earning 70% of the vote. Amendment C has earned over 82% of the vote with nearly 750,000 ballots cast in its favor.
The amendment would give schools an estimated $13-14 million more in funding. It’s been supported by the Utah PTA and Utah State Board of Education.
Sheriffs in Utah are already elected to their offices. However, Amendment C would ratify this process in the Utah Constitution. It would require every county within Utah to have an elected sheriff who serves four-year terms. This would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
The 3rd District Court voided Amendment A and the Utah Supreme Court voided Amendment D this fall. Votes cast for these amendments will not be counted.
County Mayor
Incumbent Salt Lake County Democrat Mayor Jenny Wilson is running for another term against Republican Erin Rider, a corporate lawyer.
According to unofficial results, Wilson is in the lead by nearly 15 points. 70 precincts have yet to be reported.
Wilson and Rider prioritize affordable housing and homelessness but differ on methods. Wilson’s plan offers “deeply affordable” units with support services, while Rider emphasizes reintegration with job access and IDs.
Rider criticized the county’s $2 billion budget for lacking funds for maintenance; Wilson noted most funds cover essential programs and that her budgets are balanced.
Both support preserving the Great Salt Lake. They also oppose a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon and mining in Parley’s Canyon.
County Council
South Salt Lake City Council member Democrat Natalie Pinkney is competing against co-founder of RevRoad Capital Republican Rachelle Morris.
As of late Wednesday morning, Pinkney has secured a narrow lead over Morris of less than 5 points. 70 precincts have yet to report results.
Morris told The Salt Lake Tribune that public safety is her priority. She’s also advocating for new jail beds and supporting the Public Safety Bond. In her view, affordable housing should focus on single-family homes and collaboration with municipal leaders.
Pinkney is focused on sustainable growth and infrastructure improvement to accommodate the county’s rapid expansion. To address affordable housing, she supports mixed-income housing near transit, streamlined regulations and assistance for first-time homebuyers.
Republican Carlos Moreno is running against Democrat Katie Olson. County Council seat 2 represents Copperton, Herriman, Kearns, Magna, South Jordan, West Jordan and West Valley City.
As of late Wednesday morning, Moreno less than a 3 point lead over Olson. 23 precincts have yet to report results.
Democrat Ross Romero, Republican Roger Livingston and Utah Forward Nolan Kruse are running for County Council seat 4, which represents portions of Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Murray, Holladay, Millcreek and Emigration Canyon.
Unofficial results put Romero on top with a lead of over 30 points. 9 precincts have yet to report results.
Democrat Zach Robinson is running against Republican Dea Theodore. County Council seat 6 represents Sandy, the towns of Brighton and Alta, Cottonwood Heights, Midvale and Draper.
As of late Wednesday morning, Theodore has less than a 3 point lead over Robinson. 25 precincts have yet to report.
Incumbent Republican Chris Stavros is up against Democrat Joel Frost, owner of Utah-based appraisal service ExcelAppraise, in the county assessor race.
With 70 precincts yet to report results, Frost is in a narrow lead of less than 3 points.
Incumbent Democrat Rashelle Hobbs is seeking re-election against Republican Richard Snelgrove, a former Salt Lake County council member for the county recorder.
Hobbs is leading over Snelgrove by about 5 points as of late Wednesday morning.
Current Republican Deputy Chief Surveyor Bradley Park is running against 30-year veteran of the Surveyor’s Office Democrat Kent Setterberg.
Setterburg leads Park in a tight race by less than 3 points as of late Wednesday morning.
Democrat Sheila Srivastava, a certified public accountant, seeks to make history as the first woman to serve as county treasurer against current Chief Deputy Treasurer, Republican Phil Conder.
Srivastava has a 5 point lead over Condor as of late Wednesday morning.
