The election results we know so far

Election Results

City Cast Salt Lake executive producer Emily Means here with some preliminary results from last night’s election. First, the elephant in the room: Donald Trump is poised to win the presidential race, and Utah, predictably, supported him. Just a reminder that by-mail ballots are still rolling in, and county clerks will tally votes until the final canvass in two weeks. However, some statewide winners have already been determined. Here’s what we know as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.

🗳️ Republicans Win Statewide

• U.S. Senate: GOP Congressman John Curtis beat Democrat Caroline Gleich with 62.9% of the vote to replace outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney. The Associated Press called this race immediately after polls closed at 8 p.m. — even before any votes were reported by the state.
• Governor: Incumbent Spencer Cox secured a second term, winning 56.6% of votes over state Rep. Brian King, a Democrat from Salt Lake City.
• Attorney General: Former Utah GOP Chair Derek Brown bested his Democratic opponent and three third-party candidates. It seemed Democrats had an opening in this race, after a series of scandals by outgoing AG Sean Reyes and his Republican predecessors, but no dice.

🗳️ Salt Lake County Gov Poised to Keep Partisan Makeup

• Mayor: Democrat Jenny Wilson seems to have won another term as Salt Lake County mayor, with 59% of the vote over Republican challenger Erin Rider. The City Cast Salt Lake podcast talked with both candidates in the runup to the election about their approach to Salt Lake’s biggest issues.
• County Council: Republicans appear to have maintained their 5-4 majority on the council, but some races are still too close to call:
  • At-Large C (countywide): Democrat Natalie Pinkney is ahead of Republican Rachelle Morris in the race to replace outgoing, longtime Democratic Council Member Jim Bradley.
  • Council 2 (western Salt Lake County): Republican Carlos Moreno has gains over Democrat Katie Olson in the race for GOP Council Member Dave Alvord’s open seat.
  • Council 4 (northeastern Salt Lake County): Democrat Ross Romero leads Republican Roger Livingston and Utah Forward candidate Nolan Kruse to replace outgoing Democratic Council Member Ann Granato.
  • Council 6 (southeastern Salt Lake County): Incumbent Republican Dea Theodore holds a slim lead over Democrat Zach Robinson.

🗳️ SLC Voters Show Early Support for $730M Schools Bond

• Depending on where you live, there were three tax proposals on Salt Lake ballots: a $507 million public safety bond, renewing the Zoo, Arts, and Parks sales tax, and a $730 million bond for the Salt Lake City School District. Late-night results showed strong support for the schools proposal and ZAP renewal, but the county’s jail bond lagged slightly behind.

🎧 Trying to make sense of what happened? Don’t miss our conversation with Salt Lake Tribune news columnist Robert Gehrke on the City Cast Salt Lake podcast. Plus, stay on top of results as they come in, and listen to City Cast Salt Lake this Friday for more election updates.

Suspicious Powder Sent to Voting Site

In non-results news, part of the Salt Lake County Government Center was evacuated after election workers found a white powder in an envelope. The SLC Fire Department determined it wasn’t hazardous, but Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson — who received a similar package recently — stated that attempts to “intimidate election workers” would be met with criminal charges. [FOX 13]