The Latest: Former lawmaker, Bundy lawyer, loses race


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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Latest on the Utah primary election (all times local):

11:30 p.m.

A former Utah lawmaker serving as an attorney for the leader of a wildlife refuge occupation in Oregon has lost his race for Utah's legislature.

Morgan Philpot lost a state Senate race in Utah County Tuesday night to Dan Hemmert, who owns a chain of dry cleaning stores.

Philpot was born in Oregon and in May was hired to defend Ammon Bundy against a federal conspiracy charge.

Philpot was elected to Utah's House of Representatives in 2000 and served until 2004, when he resigned to attend law school.

He unsuccessfully ran for Utah governor in 2012 and Congress in 2010.

Philpot and Hemmert clashed over a new state law allowing candidates to bypass party conventions and gather signatures for a primary election.

Philpot opposed the law but Hemmert participated in both the convention and signature route.

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10:50 p.m.

A transgender woman making her first foray into politics will face off against incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Lee in November after winning the Democratic nomination.

Misty Snow would become Utah's first openly transgender elected official if she wins the general election. She defeated marriage therapist Jonathan Swinton in Tuesday's primary.

Snow is a grocery store cashier. She ran on a platform of raising the minimum wage and being an advocate for women's rights and the LGBT community.

Lee ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Snow lost to Swinton in the state's party convention in April, but the race went to the primary because Swinton didn't get 60 percent of the vote at the convention.

Swinton told voters his professional experience would help him solve problems and that he was the only candidate who could dethrone Lee in the general election.

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10:10 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz says he believes he won the overwhelming support of Republican voters because they know he's trying to fight "the mess that is Washington D.C."

Chaffetz beat Brigham Young University professor Chia-Chi Teng on Tuesday for the GOP nomination as he runs for re-election.

Chaffetz says he's confident he'll win again in the November general election against Democrat Stephen Tryon.

Chaffetz is running for his fifth term representing Utah's 3rd Congressional District, which covers Salt Lake City-area suburbs and extends to the southeast corner of the state.

Teng says even though he didn't win Tuesday, he felt he changed things by running and focusing on a need to balance the budget.

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10:00 p.m.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says he's grateful Republican voters have picked him as their nominee over businessman Jonathan Johnson.

Herbert spoke to reporters outside the governor's mansion Tuesday night after results from the primary election showed him winning by a large margin.

Herbert says he feels he had a positive record that he can build upon in the future.

After congratulating Herbert, Johnson told his supporters that they should hold their heads high because they changed the discussion in Utah.

He pointed to Herbert dropping his support of Common Core education standards after Johnson criticized him.

Johnson also says he feels his campaign brought a greater focus to issues of local control and pushing for management of public lands.

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8:50 p.m.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has fought off a primary challenge from businessman Jonathan Johnson to become the Republican nominee for governor.

Herbert has been in office since 2009. He has pointed to Utah's strong economy and low unemployment in his campaign for another four-year term.

Johnson criticized Herbert for approving tax increases and touted his own private-sector business experience.

If Herbert wins in November, he'll be among the state's longest-serving governors. He says the 2016 election will be his last.

Herbert faces Democrat Michael Weinholtz in the general election. He has an advantage as the GOP candidate in one of the country's most heavily Republican states.

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8:46 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz has defeated a GOP primary challenger in his bid for a fifth term.

Chaffetz beat Brigham Young University professor Chia-Chi Teng on Tuesday to win the GOP nomination in the congressional district that covers Salt Lake City's southeastern suburbs and extends to the southeast corner of the state.

Chaffetz will face Democrat Stephen Tryon in the November general election. Tryon was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Chaffetz defeated Teng in the party's state convention in April. But Teng took advantage of Utah's new election law that allows candidates to gather voter signatures and compete in the primary even if they lose at the convention.

Chaffetz will be the overwhelming favorite in the general election because the 3rd Congressional District is made up of primarily Republican voters.

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8:25 p.m.

Early results from Utah's primary election show Gov. Gary Herbert leading challenger Jonathan Johnson in the Republican race for governor.

Herbert had about 74 percent of the vote by 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, with about 13 percent of all votes counted. Johnson had 26 percent

Early results Tuesday also showed Misty Snow leading Jonathan Swinton in the Democratic race for U.S. Senate, with about 60 percent of the vote

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz had a huge over lead over BYU professor Chia-Chi Teng in the race to be the GOP nominee in Utah's 3rd Congressional District.

Chaffetz had about 79 percent of the vote.

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8:05 p.m.

Polls have closed in Utah's primary election and results are expected to be released soon.

Officials said most of the votes Tuesday are expected to come in an envelope rather than a ballot box, with more than two-thirds of Utah counties conducting the primary election mostly by mail.

That should allow election officials to have an initial wave of results prepared soon after the 8 p.m. poll closing.

The most closely-watched race is the Republican primary for governor.

Incumbent Gary Herbert has been in office since 2009 and is seeking another term.

He's being challenged by Overstock.com executive Jonathan Johnson.

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7:25 p.m.

Lisa Pauley voted for Jonathan Johnson in the Republican governor's primary Tuesday because she thinks it's time for a change.

The 50-year-old stay-at-home mother from Sandy says she likes what Johnson stands for. She cast her ballot for the Overstock.com executive Tuesday afternoon at city hall in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy.

"The government needs a little shake-up," said Pauley, standing with her son. "It's not that I'm disappointed by any choices that Gov. (Gary) Herbert made. I just want new blood."

Herbert took office in 2009. Johnson more support from several thousand core members of Utah's GOP at an April state convention. But Herbert brings a moderate appeal and has an endorsement from former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who remains hugely popular in Utah.

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6:15 p.m.

Utah's elections director says voter turnout in Tuesday's primary election is already at its highest in 20 years.

The Lt. Governor's director of elections, Mark Thomas, said 20.7 percent of registered voters had participated by early Tuesday evening.

That beats the 2012 election, when 20.4 percent of registered voters participated.

This year's primary includes a heated race to be the Republican nominee for governor, in addition to a primary challenge against Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz and a Democratic battle for U.S. Senate.

Polls close at 8 p.m.

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6:05 p.m.

Phil Remington doesn't have real complaints about Gov. Gary Herbert's tenure in office, but he's voting for Jonathan Johnson instead.

The 76-year-old retired construction worker and electrician says he thinks Johnson is a stronger proponent of the Second Amendment. He turned in his mail-in ballot in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy at city hall on hot and windy Tuesday.

"I want somebody that is going to be more pro-Constitution," Remington said.

Herbert, who took office in 2009, is trying to fend off a challenge from Johnson, an Overstock.com executive who won more support from several thousand core members of Utah's GOP at an April state convention.

Remington said he thinks Herbert has been in office long enough.

"People get too comfortable in some of these positions," Remington said. "There are others with fresh ideas."

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4:30 p.m.

Irene Jensen says she's voting for Gov. Gary Herbert in Tuesday's Republican primary because of his record on issues that are important to her, like employment, education and federal control of public lands in Utah.

The 52-year-old writer from West Valley City says party affiliations aren't as important to her as candidates' actions on behalf of the citizens. She says Utah's economy has been healthy under Herbert's watch and is drawing new residents to the state.

Jensen is concerned about federal control of public lands in Utah. Public lands make up more than half the state and Jensen says she doesn't want to see any more under federal control, so she appreciates that the governor has taken a stand against possible new national monument.

In the future, she'd like to see leaders do more for military veterans.

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1 p.m.

Republican voter Ernie Cassler says he's casting his primary ballot for libertarian-leaning Jonathan Johnson, the Overstock.com board chairman who is challenging Gov. Gary Herbert.

The 55-year-old West Jordan banker says he supports Johnson because the candidate wants to drop Common Core education standards.

Cassler said the teaching methods tied to benchmarks championed by the Obama administration don't make sense.

The state party delegate also said he appreciates Johnson's push against a new state law that allows candidates to bypass delegates at the state party convention and gather signatures to get on the primary ballot instead.

Cassler said signature-gathering favors big-name candidates while the convention gives lesser-known contestants the chance to have their voices heard.

Herbert lost the convention vote to Johnson, and got on the ballot with signatures instead.

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11:30 a.m.

A state official says early voting numbers have already put turnout for Tuesday's primary election at "above average."

The Lt. Governor's director of elections, Mark Thomas said voters who had sent in mail-in or absentee ballots through Monday have put turnout at over 17 percent.

Utah's 2014 primary election, where only a handful of legislative races and county offices were on the ballot, saw less than 13-percent voter participation.

Thomas said as of midmorning Tuesday that no issues have been reported so far at polling sites.

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10:35 a.m.

Republican voter David Zealley (zee-ah-lee) says he picked Gov. Gary Herbert in Tuesday's primary election because he thinks the incumbent has helped Utah's economy.

Zealley, a 24-year-old psychology major at Brigham Young University-Idaho, is from Riverton, Utah and cast his vote by mail on Saturday.

He says Herbert appealed to him more than Overstock.com executive Jonathan Johnson because the governor took a more moderate stance on issues such as refugees.

Unlike other Republican governors, Herbert last fall stopped short of joining several governors who threatened to stop accepting Syrian refugees following terrorist attacks in Paris.

Herbert ordered a security review but said he wanted to help those fleeing violence. His Republican opponent in the governor's race, Johnson, called for Utah to stop accepting refugees.

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9 a.m.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is headed to the polls as he waits to find out if fellow Republicans will nominate him for another term as governor.

Herbert and the First Lady are casting their votes for Tuesday's primary election at Orem Elementary School.

Herbert's opponent for the GOP nomination, Overstock.com executive Jonathan Johnson, already voted by mail.

Johnson's campaign says the Overstock.com board chairman will spend Tuesday doing honk-and-wave appearances in Utah County.

Herbert has been in office since 2009. He points to Utah's humming economy and low unemployment while making his case for re-election.

Johnson has criticized Herbert for approving tax increases and instead touts his own private-sector experience.

The winner Tuesday likely will prevail in November because deep-red Utah hasn't elected a Democratic governor in nearly four decades.

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7:30 a.m.

The polls have opened for Utah's primary election.

Each county will have at least one location where votes can be cast in person on Tuesday.

Officials said most of the votes are expected to come in an envelope rather than a ballot box, with more than two-thirds of Utah counties conducting the primary election mostly by mail.

The ballot postmark deadline was Monday but voters can also drop them off at polling places, drop boxes or county clerk's offices.

People who want to vote in the Republican primary must be registered Republicans.

Utah's Democratic primary is open to all voters.

The polls close at 8 p.m.

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3 a.m.

Gary Herbert is hoping Republican voters will help deliver him to another four-year term as Utah's governor by making him the GOP nominee over Overstock.com executive Jonathan Johnson.

The heated contest between Herbert and Johnson has already helped drive higher voter turnout in Tuesday's primary election than the 2014 contest.

By Monday morning, voters who had sent in mail-in or absentee ballots that put turnout at nearly 15 percent.

Utah's 2014 primary election, where only a handful of legislative races and county offices were on the ballot, saw less than 13-percent voter participation.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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