For the first time since Election Day, two-term Republican Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) took the lead in her race against Democratic challenger and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams.
An updated vote count in Utah County Friday pushed her ahead by 419 votes, reversing McAdams’ 1,002-vote lead, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
In Utah 4, Rep Mia Love R-UT could be on the verge of a giant comeback win, as she is now in the lead in her race pic.twitter.com/X6fqtfk78y
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) November 16, 2018
“This is just the start of Mia’s victory,” said Dave Hansen, Love’s campaign manager. “We will continue to closely monitor the election results.”
Earlier Friday, a judge dismissed a lawsuit Love had filed seeking to stop vote counting in Salt Lake County to allow her campaign to examine the validity of certain votes in the Utah county.
“McAdams has spent the past week in Washington going to House orientation meetings and appearing in the freshman class photo with new lawmakers from across the country,” the Tribune reported.
McAdams had briefly expanded his lead Friday after Salt Lake County updated its vote totals. But those gains were eroded by Utah County, where Love lives and is the heavy favorite. She resides in Saratoga Springs.
Andrew Roberts, McAdams’ campaign manager, said the results from Utah County — which released more total votes in the district Friday than Salt Lake County — are unsurprising and track with earlier trends.
“We’re optimistic that when final numbers are reported Monday, Ben McAdams will again be winning,” Roberts said.
If Love wins, it will be a fitting rebuke to President Trump, who rather crassly taunted her during his press conference after the election.
“Mia Love gave me no love and she lost,” Trump said. “Too bad, sorry about that Mia.”
"Mia Love gave me no love and she lost," Trump says of Republican Rep. Mia Love losing Utah congressional race. "Too bad, sorry about that Mia." https://t.co/X38nyefXC9 pic.twitter.com/6oWxhvre6m
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 7, 2018
As of Friday afternoon, the 0.16 percent spread was within the margin for a recount, which is 0.25 percent in Utah.
Only six U.S. House seats remain undecided, according to The New York Times.
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