2020 Election (Utah): Owens, McAdams nearly tied in 4th District

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SALT LAKE CITY — While there are lots of important races going on nationally, most notably for the presidency, there are also important seats up for grabs right here in the Beehive State.

We now know that Republican candidates have won the races for the governorship and attorney general, as well as in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd congressional districts. But the 4th District race is a nail-biter as expected, as Rep. Ben McAdams is locked in a back-and-forth battle with Republican challenger Burgess Owens.

This blog will be updated as new information is delivered. Check the updates below for up-to-date information about local election results.

Thursday, 04:23 pm

Owens leads McAdams by just 18 votes after more results released

Republican Burgess Owens took the lead over Rep. Ben McAdams when Utah released its latest batch of election results Thursday at 3 p.m. But the results were all from Utah County; when Salt Lake County released more results about an hour later, Owen's new lead shrank to just 18 votes, leaving the race nearly after two days of counting.Owens is edging McAdams now by just a hundredth of a percentage point, 47.6% to 47.59%. He has earned 129,241 votes to McAdams' 129,223.The state has up to two weeks to certify the final vote totals.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Thursday, 03:15 pm

Owens now leads 4th District race

The Utah elections office continues to update vote totals as it counts additional ballots, and released a new batch of results Thursday at 3 p.m.In the 4th Congressional District, where Rep. Ben McAdams had held a slim and decreasing lead over challenger Burgess Owens, the script has flipped — the Republican Owens now leads McAdams by just over 2,400 votes.That gives Owens 48.1% of the total vote to McAdams' 47.15%. However, the elections office said on Twitter that the new votes only came from conservative Utah County and that none were from Salt Lake County, where McAdams performs better.The state will continue to release more results daily as late-arriving ballots are counted. More results, including from Salt Lake County, are expected later Thursday.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Wednesday, 03:03 pm

New results narrow McAdams lead

With Election Day in the rearview mirror, the Utah elections office released more results Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. The gap between incumbent Rep. Ben McAdams and Republican Burgess Owens narrowed in the 4th Congressional District race.McAdams' lead dropped from about 4 percentage points to just 1 Wednesday. He has claimed 48.25% of counted votes to Owens' 47.13%, a difference of just 2,599 votes.More results are expected later Wednesday.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Wednesday, 12:13 am

Tight race between McAdams, Owens after final update of election night

Salt Lake County and Utah County have released a final batch of election night results and will continue counting ballots in the days to come.The update shows Rep. Ben McAdams leading Burgess Owens by more than 7,500 votes. That's earned him 49.5% of the vote share to Owens' 46.01%.Neither candidate has claimed victory or conceded the race, and the Associated Press has not called the race one way or the other.McAdams won the seat in 2018 by less than a thousand votes; the race took nearly two weeks to call.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 11:43 pm

More than 10K ballots remain unprocessed in Salt Lake County

Salt Lake County is still waiting for memory cards from one voting center as of 11:30 p.m., KSL TV's Ladd Egan reported.Once the cards come in, the county clerk will push out the final update of the night.Tens of thousands of ballots, however, remain unprocessed and will remain locked in a vault overnight.

UPDATE: SLCo. is waiting for memory cards to be returned from one vote center. Once they're back @SLCoClerk will push out the final update of the night

Tens of thousands of ballots haven't been processed and will stay locked in the "vault" tonight@KSL5TV @kslnewsradio @KSLcom pic.twitter.com/YEBtnoWaXs

— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) November 4, 2020— Lauren Bennett, KSL.com

Tuesday, 11:11 pm

GOP candidates for state auditor and treasurer carry big lead

Candidates for Utah's auditor and treasurer carried a big lead Tuesday night.State TreasurerDavid Damschen, R, 75.35%Joseph Speciale, L, 14.18%Richard Proctor, Constitution, 10.47%State AuditorJohn 'Frugal' Dougall, R, 75.14%Brian L. Fabbi, United Utah, 12.78%Jeffrey L. Ostler, Constitution, 12.07%

Tuesday, 11:07 pm

Utah's GOP election party wraps up for the evening

With the results of Utah's 4th Congressional District race and the presidential race still not called, Utah's GOP election night party wrapped up Tuesday night. Several key Utah figures attended the event.

Gov. Gary Herbert

Sen. Mike Lee

Rep. Christ Stewart

Rep. John Curtis

Blake Moore, who was elected tonight to represent 1st Congressional District

Burgess Owens, who is running to represent Utah's 4th District

Governor-elect Spencer Cox joined the event virtually via a Twitter live video

Tuesday, 10:46 pm

GOP wins Utah's 2nd District race after Democrat concedes

Incumbent Rep. Chris Stewart has won a fifth term in Congress in Utah's 2nd Congressional District.Democrat Kael Weston conceded the race late Tuesday as the Republican congressman led 61% to Weston's 35%, and Libertarian J. Robert Latham had 4% of the vote.Stewart told fellow Republicans on Tuesday they're in a battle for the heart and soul of the country."I think it's taken on a greater urgency, far more than I would have imagined even just a few years ago as we fight for religious liberty, as we fight for the sanctity of life, as we fight for freedom versus socialism," he said.— Dennis Romboy, KSL

Tuesday, 10:42 pm

Peterson concedes governor's race

Hours after the Associated Press declared Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox Utah's governor-elect, his Democratic opponent Chris Peterson released a statement conceding the race."I want to thank my family, staff, volunteers, and all of my supporters from the bottom of my heart," Peterson wrote. "Traveling around this state, hearing Utahns' stories, and standing up for working families during this campaign has been an honor."Peterson said he is "proud that we ran an ethical race focused on policy issues.""This campaign was about building a new beginning for the Democratic Party in Utah."He thanked Cox for running a "respectful campaign" and wished him "the very best in leading our state towards a brighter future."— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 10:38 pm

Utah election results update

Here is the latest update of the preliminary results released in Utah as polls closed Tuesday night. The races for governor, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts and attorney general, have all been called.The remaining races that haven't been called below are Utah's 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts.GovernorLt. Gov. Spencer Cox, R, winsAttorney generalSean Reyes, R, wins1st Congressional DistrictBlake Moore, R, wins2nd Congressional DistrictRep. Chris Stewart, R, wins3rd Congressional DistrictRep. John Curtis, R, wins4th Congressional DistrictBurgess Owens: 44.41%Rep. Ben McAdams: 51.32%

Tuesday, 10:21 pm

Owens feeling 'very optimistic,' says support comes from southern portion of district

Cheers erupted in the room as Burgess Owens, the Republican challenger in Utah's 4th Congressional District race, arrived about 9:40 p.m. at the Utah GOP election party.Owens is running against incumbent Rep. Ben McAdams, and told media members Tuesday night he felt "very optimistic" and had no intentions of conceding the race.

Owens tells media members he is feeling "very optimistic" about the race tonight even as he trails slightly behind McAdams, saying much of his support comes from the southern portion of the 4th District. pic.twitter.com/dkg7191ddW

— Lauren Bennett (@laurmarben) November 4, 2020As of about 10 p.m., preliminary election results showed Owens trailing slightly behind McAdams.The former NFL football player said much of his support comes from the southern parts of the district, in Sanpete and Juab counties.— Lauren Bennett, KSL.com

Tuesday, 10:00 pm

Utah's newest member of the Congressional delegation feels 'energized' to represent the 1st District

Newly elected Blake Moore says he has big shoes to fill in replacing longtime Rep. Rob Bishop, who announced last year he was not seeking re-election and later endorsed Moore to be his replacement."He's laid out an incredible path, what does success look like for the 1st District," he said of his predecessor. "He's established that and there's a roadmap there to follow, and I want to execute on that."The businessman told KSL.com he is energized and excited to serve Utah's 1st District."I'll be someone that can definitely work to to get the best results for Utah," he said.The soon-to-be Congressman said he spoke with his opponent, Democratic candidate Darren Parry, and the two spoke on the phone tonight after Parry conceded the race."He and I have a great relationship," Moore said. "I just want to thank him again for running an awesome campaign we added to the civility, of what we want to see out of politics and he's somebody that I have continued to work with."— Lauren Bennett, KSL.com

Tuesday, 09:22 pm

AP projects Trump has won Utah

The Associated Press, NBC News and other outlets are projecting President Donald Trump has won Utah and its 6 electoral votes.As of 8:45 p.m., Trump led former Vice President Joe Biden by about 16 points in the state.The result would continue a long trend of Utah going to Republican presidential candidates. Utah has not given its electors to a Democrat since 1964.

BREAKING: Donald Trump wins Utah. #APracecall at 9:07 p.m. MST. #Election2020

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 4, 2020— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 09:16 pm

McAdams 'not taking anything for granted' with early lead on Owens

In an interview with KSL.com Tuesday night, Rep. Ben McAdams said it's still very early, but he likes how the numbers are shaping up so far in his campaign against Republican challenger Burgess Owens."There's still a lot of votes to be counted so we're not taking anything for granted at this point," McAdams said. "But we do feel good with the numbers we've seen. It seems that my message of bringing people together and unifying us to work together, seems to have resonated with voters and they seem to have responded really well to that message. "We're feeling very optimistic at this point, but there's still a lot of votes to count."As of 9:12 p.m., McAdams led Owens 51.61% to 44.13%, a difference of 15,192 votes. No outlets have yet called the race one way or another.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 09:16 pm

'Looking forward to another two years': Devin Thorpe concedes to Rep. John Curtis in 3rd District

Devin Thorpe, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Rep. John Curtis, has conceded the 3rd Congressional District race, though the Associated Press has yet to call the race.The candidate announced the concession on his Twitter feed at 8:28 p.m.Curtis, if the results remain, will now serve his second full term in Congress, once again as a member of the minority party, as NBC News projects Democrats will maintain control of the House."Looking forward to another two years, I have so much I want I want to go do," Rep. John Curtis told KSL.com Tuesday night at the Utah GOP election party. "Mission No. 1 is to get us past COVID. Right now, that's the focus of everything that we do."Beyond overcoming the pandemic, the Congressman said he plans to work on health care, the economy and the public lands issues in the district."Just a long, long list of things we want to go get done," he said.Curtis was up by almost 40 points in preliminary election results as of 8:35 p.m.

Minutes ago, I called John Curtis to congratulate him on his victory.

While I am disappointed with the outcome, I am grateful to everyone who supported our campaign in any way.

I'll be live at 10:35 to comment on the outcome on Facebook at https://t.co/vbI9sETduK.

— Devin D. Thorpe (@devindthorpe) November 4, 2020— Graham Dudley and Lauren Bennett, KSL.com

Tuesday, 09:02 pm

Sean Reyes will retain AG's office

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes appears to have held on to his seat Tuesday night, as early returns show him leading Democratic challenger Greg Skordas by about 23 points.Skordas conceded Tuesday night, KSL TV reported, though the race has not been officially called by the state.

BREAKING: Greg Skordas says he will concede race to incumbent Sean Reyes. https://t.co/sIUr8EzLAr

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) November 4, 2020— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 08:53 pm

AP calls Utah CD1 for Blake Moore

The Associated Press projects Republican Blake Moore will top Darren Parry and succeed Rep. Rob Bishop in Utah's 1st Congressional District.The AP tweeted the call at 8:48 p.m. The result was anticipated in polls leading up to the election.

BREAKING: Republican Blake Moore wins election to U.S. House in Utah's 1st Congressional District. #APracecall at 8:47 p.m. MST. #Election2020 #UTelection

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 4, 2020To learn more about that race, read here.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 08:11 pm

First results reported across the state

First results reported across the stateHere are the early, preliminary results released in Utah as polls closed Tuesday night. Of the below races, the governor's race is the only race that has been called.GovernorLt. Gov. Spencer Cox: 60.76%Chris Peterson: 35.09%Attorney generalSean Reyes: 56.65%Greg Skordas: 38.69%1st Congressional DistrictBlake Moore: 61.07%Darren Parry: 38.93%2nd Congressional DistrictRep. Chris Stewart: 55.51%Kael Weston: 40.65%3rd Congressional DistrictRep. John Curtis: 67.83%Devin Thorpe: 28.19%4th Congressional DistrictBurgess Owens: 43.23%Rep. Ben McAdams: 52.53%

Tuesday, 08:06 pm

AP: Spencer Cox wins Utah governor race

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox won the state's governor's race Tuesday night with 69.45% of the vote reported in the first round of election results, the Associated Press reports.Cox defeated Democrat Chris Peterson in the race. The AP called the race at 8 p.m., immediately as polls closed.

BREAKING: Republican Spencer Cox wins election for governor in Utah. #APracecall at 8:00 p.m. MST. #Election2020 #UTelection https://t.co/lGfinjTqT4

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 4, 2020— Lauren Bennett, KSL.com

Tuesday, 08:00 pm

The polls are closed

As of 8 p.m., the polls have closed in Utah and the first batch of state election results will be released momentarily. While some races may not be close and the winners may be clear tonight, others will be much tighter. KSL.com, like many other news outlets across the U.S., will rely on the Associated Press to report probable winners of election races.We will post the first results here shortly.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 07:36 pm

State GOP gathering in Sandy, Dems meet virtually

It's a scaled-down election night celebration for Utah's two major parties as the state GOP elected to gather in Sandy while the Democrats are opting for a virtual event.The Republicans' election party is being held at the Realtors Association Building and features several GOP candidates and officials. The Democrats' virtual gathering is being held in conjunction with the Alliance for a Better Utah and other local progressive groups.KSL.com reporters will speak to candidates of both parties after Utah's polls close and preliminary results are reported.— Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Tuesday, 03:05 pm

ICYMI: What's up for grabs on Election Day in Utah

The polls are closing at 8 p.m. MST here in Utah. We're about to get our first glimpse of Utah's major races; as a refresher, here are the statewide and congressional elections being contested this year:

Governor: Daniel Cottam (L), Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R), Greg Duerden (Independent American), Chris Peterson (D)

Attorney General: Rudy Bautista (L), Sean Reyes (R, incumbent), Greg Skordas (D)

State Auditor: John Dougall (R, incumbent), Brian Fabbi (L), Jeffrey Ostler (Constitution)

State Treasurer: David Damschen (R, incumbent), Richard Proctor (Constitution), Joseph Speciale (L)

1st Congressional District: Blake Moore (R), Darren Parry (D)

2nd Congressional District: J. Robert Latham (L), Rep. Chris Stewart (R, incumbent), Kael Weston (D)

3rd Congressional District: Daniel Clyde Cummings (Constitution), Rep. John Curtis (R, incumbent), Thomas G. McNeill (United Utah), Devin Thorpe (D)

4th Congressional District: Jonia Broderick (United Utah), Rep. Ben McAdams (D, incumbent), John Molnar (L), Burgess Owens (R)

2020 Election (Utah): Owens, McAdams nearly tied in 4th District

By Graham Dudley and Lauren Bennett, KSL.com | Updated - Nov. 5, 2020 at 4:29 p.m. | Posted - Nov. 3, 2020 at 7:01 p.m.

(Keith Johnson, KSL, File)

Owens leads McAdams by just 18 votes after more results released

Owens now leads 4th District race

New results narrow McAdams lead

Tight race between McAdams, Owens after final update of election night

More than 10K ballots remain unprocessed in Salt Lake County

GOP candidates for state auditor and treasurer carry big lead

Utah's GOP election party wraps up for the evening

GOP wins Utah's 2nd District race after Democrat concedes

Peterson concedes governor's race

Utah election results update

Owens feeling 'very optimistic,' says support comes from southern portion of district

Utah's newest member of the Congressional delegation feels 'energized' to represent the 1st District

AP projects Trump has won Utah

McAdams 'not taking anything for granted' with early lead on Owens

'Looking forward to another two years': Devin Thorpe concedes to Rep. John Curtis in 3rd District

Sean Reyes will retain AG's office

AP calls Utah CD1 for Blake Moore

First results reported across the state

AP: Spencer Cox wins Utah governor race

The polls are closed

State GOP gathering in Sandy, Dems meet virtually

ICYMI: What's up for grabs on Election Day in Utah

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2020 Election (Utah): Owens, McAdams nearly tied in 4th District

By Graham Dudley and Lauren Bennett, KSL.com | Updated - Nov. 5, 2020 at 4:29 p.m. | Posted - Nov. 3, 2020 at 7:01 p.m.

(Keith Johnson, KSL, File)

Owens leads McAdams by just 18 votes after more results released

Owens now leads 4th District race

New results narrow McAdams lead

Tight race between McAdams, Owens after final update of election night

More than 10K ballots remain unprocessed in Salt Lake County

GOP candidates for state auditor and treasurer carry big lead

Utah's GOP election party wraps up for the evening

GOP wins Utah's 2nd District race after Democrat concedes

Peterson concedes governor's race

Utah election results update

Owens feeling 'very optimistic,' says support comes from southern portion of district

Utah's newest member of the Congressional delegation feels 'energized' to represent the 1st District

AP projects Trump has won Utah

McAdams 'not taking anything for granted' with early lead on Owens

'Looking forward to another two years': Devin Thorpe concedes to Rep. John Curtis in 3rd District

Sean Reyes will retain AG's office

AP calls Utah CD1 for Blake Moore

First results reported across the state

AP: Spencer Cox wins Utah governor race

The polls are closed

State GOP gathering in Sandy, Dems meet virtually

ICYMI: What's up for grabs on Election Day in Utah

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