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SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah House Speaker Mel Brown plans to call for a recount after official results certified this week determined he was defeated in the Republican primary by eight votes.
Morgan County Commissioner Logan Wilde edged the Coalville Republican incumbent 2,490 to 2,482 — a 0.16 percent difference — in the House District 53 race, according to canvass results released Tuesday.
Because the race was decided by less than 0.25 percent, Brown can ask for a recount under state law.
"I definitely will," Brown said Thursday when asked if he'll be taking that option. "It's close enough. It deserves to be done."
Because House District 53 encompasses multiple counties — Dagget, Duchesne, Morgan, Rich and Summit — Brown must wait until the lieutenant governor's office conducts the official state canvass July 26 before he can call for a recount.
"It's hard to know whether anything could change until we actually conduct (the recount), but certainly a few votes could be added or disqualified," said Mark Thomas, state elections director.
Since the June 28 primary election, Brown has been slowly closing the gap on Wilde.
Wilde led by 64 votes on primary election night, but Brown took a momentary, seven-vote lead later that week when updated results were released. That same day, Brown fell behind again after another 100 votes were counted.
Wilde said he's confident the recount won't snatch away his victory.
"I'm just planning to keep moving forward," he said, and preparing to face Democratic candidate Cole Capener in November.
Wilde said he never expected to beat Brown, who has served in the Utah Legislature for 24 years and was speaker of the House from 1994 to 2000.
"I was just very shocked," Wilde said. "I was only expecting probably 40 percent (of the vote). I knew this was a long shot because Mel has been around for a long time, and he's got a great reputation."
Brown, the longest-serving member of the House GOP caucus, first took office in 1986.
In 2000, Brown bowed out of the Legislature when he became embroiled in controversy after he had discussions with a lobbyist about a job with U.S. West at the same time lawmakers were considering a telecommunications bill.
Officials cleared Brown of any legal violations, but he decided against running again as speaker.
Brown then moved to Coalville, where he was elected again in 2006 to again serve in the House.
If the recount doesn't save him, Brown will be one of two legislative incumbents who failed to advance to the general election.
At the Salt Lake County GOP convention, Rep. Fred Cox, R-West Valley City, was defeated by former West Valley Mayor Mike Winder, and Rep. Earl Tanner, R-West Jordan, lost to Adam Gardiner, a former assistant to U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop.
