- Stuart Adams, Trevor Lee, and Dan McCay lost reelection in Utah's primary.
- Adams faced criticism over a data center project.
- Doug Fiefia defeated McCay in a rare same-party race; change is desired by voters.
SALT LAKE CITY — Multiple prominent Republicans in the Utah Legislature have lost their bids for reelection, including one of the most powerful politicians in the state.
According to early results from Tuesday's primary election, Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, trailed GOP challenger Stephanie Hollist, 43% to 35%, in the Senate District 7 race. A third Republican candidate, Braden Hess, was in third place with 22%.
Adams conceded to Hollist Tuesday evening, calling his service "one of the greatest honors of my life" and thanking his staff and supporters.
"I congratulate my opponent on their victory and wish them every success as they continue the important work of serving the people of Utah," he said. "My hope is that our great state will continue to lead the nation and remain the number one state in America, a place where families thrive, businesses prosper and opportunity abounds for future generations."
Adams has been in the Utah Legislature for more than 20 years and has led the Senate since 2018. But he has faced sharp criticism recently over his support of a large data center in Box Elder County being pushed by celebrity businessman Kevin O'Leary. Hollist in particular made that a key campaign issue in the final weeks of the race.
"I knew it would be an uphill battle. I knew it would be hard," Hollist told KSL. "But I also felt like this was a moment that this is the way I could contribute … because this was the time that I have the bandwidth, the resources, the energy … and really it's the time when people have this push, this feeling of we're ready for change, we want something different. If all of those hadn't aligned, I don't know that we'd be standing here."
Hess said the results were "obviously disappointing" and said he is still concerned that voters don't fully understand Hollist's positions.
"I wish her the best, and I'm going to pray for her as well as every other leader that we have," Hess said.
Hollist will now face Democrat Garret Rushforth in the general election.
In the Utah House, Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, conceded the House District 16 race to his Republican challenger, Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson. According to early results Tuesday evening, Stevenson had 66% of the vote compared to 34% for Lee.
Stevenson said he was pleased with the results and sees his win as part of a general pushback against those in government.
"I believe people like to see people working together, not a lot of infighting going on," he said. "People are very frustrated with state government, and some of these upsets may be a very good indication that people do want to see change."
"While the results did not go as we had hoped, I am deeply grateful to the voters, volunteers, donors, and supporters who stood with our conservative vision for a stronger Utah," Lee said in a statement about his loss. "Their hard work, prayers, and commitment to putting families and freedom first made this campaign possible."
Lee came into the primary election under scrutiny for his past business dealings. The Utah House speaker referred allegations to the attorney general's office that Lee tried to leverage his office to benefit a former employer in exchange for money to help build his new house. The AG's office has not commented on the status of an investigation.
Stevenson will square off against Democrat Abigail Treasure in the general election.
And in southern Salt Lake County, longtime Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, trailed Rep. Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, in a rare battle between two sitting legislators of the same party. McCay had 31% of the vote in the Senate District 18 race, while Fiefia had 69%.
McCay told KSL he conceded the race late Tuesday.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the voters of Senate District 18 for their trust and support," Fiefia said. "This victory belongs to the volunteers, supporters, family, friends, and neighbors who made this campaign possible. I'm honored by the opportunity to serve and look forward to continuing the work of strengthening families, protecting our kids, and fighting for the future of our communities."
In a statement acknowledging his loss, McCay said, "Thank you to everyone who shared this journey with me. Next to husband and father, serving Utah has been one of the great honors of my life."
Fiefia will face A. Dane Anderson, a Democrat, in November.
Contributing: Andrew Adams
