In what was probably the only election watch party in the nation that featured a disco ball, Utah’s GOP candidates for Senate and the House held on for the win.
In Utah’s First Congressional District, Republican Blake Moore defeated Democrat challenger Rick Jones. In the Second District, GOP candidate Chris Stewart outlasted Nick Mitchell and John Curtis beat Democrat Glenn Wright in the Third District. In another race that Utah Republicans were watching, incumbent Burgess Owens topped Democrat Darlene McDonald and United Utah candidate January Walker in the Fourth District. Notably, Owens raised some eyebrows earlier in the campaign when refused to participate in a debate moderated by an editor from the Salt Lake Tribune. The Tribune had previously published an editorial cartoon comparing Owens, who is black and grew up living with racism, to the Klan.
But the race that had everyone’s attention was the Mike Lee/Evan McMullin matchup. On Monday, local media outlets had Lee polling just two points ahead of McMullin. This came at the end of a very contentious race and a particularly acidic debate between the two candidates. Lee maintained throughout the campaign that McMullin had continually engaged in attack ads and had accused Lee of supporting the January 6 incident and trying to help Trump nullify the election. Lee has categorically denied those and other accusations.
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Although Fox News called the race for Lee, the party leadership decided to wait until the AP called the race, which came at approximately 10:40, to announce Lee’s win.
Taking the stage, Lee said, “Utah has spoken loudly and clearly. The policies of the Democrat Party failed us. They failed us to the point that red states are having none of it, blue states don’t want much of it either, purple states are saying ‘no’ to it, and I look forward to 2024 when even the blue states are going to be saying ‘heck, no.’” He went on to say that Utahans understand that a smaller government means a stronger America and that he was hopeful for a majority in the House and Senate. He said that there was work to be done in reigning in out-of-control federal spending and holding effective, aggressive oversight hearings. As for bills, spending and otherwise that required an immediate vote, even without input from constituents, Lee said, “That ends now.”
Lee said that in the ensuing days, he looks forward to getting back to work and meeting with his Republican colleagues. He further stated:
“Things are going to be different this time. They are going to be different because they must be different. Because the stakes have never been higher because they’ve never pushed the envelope this far to where people are hurting the way they are today. Instead of multi-trillion dollar inflation-causing deficits, expect balanced budgets. Instead of a rubber stamp for Joe Biden, pushback and oversight. Instead of dictates, liberty. Instead of exploding debt, fiscal sanity. Instead of bureaucratic regulations, laws. Instead of excess from Washington, prudence. In place of chaos, order.
Utah stands today as an example to America, just as America has long stood as an example to the rest of the world. You see, the American Dream, it works here. It works here perhaps better than in any other part of this great land of ours. And that’s for one simple reason. Here in Utah, we know that our rights, like our blessings, come from God, and not from government. And we know the difference between those two things. Here in Utah, we know and we understand that the Constitution is there to keep government in its place. And we understand that it’s not just there for the nice days, for the sunny days, for the easy days. It’s there, especially for the hard days. The days when progressives in Washington would otherwise tell us ‘you need to allow government to expand in ways that the Constitution could never authorize.”
We like our independence here. It’s been earned through hard work and preserved tirelessly. We understand that strong communities and families are essential not only to our survival but to our freedom itself.
The best is yet to come for Utah, and for America. We have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep. This is where the real hard work starts. In fact, the end of an election cycle isn’t the end of the process, it’s the beginning of the hard work, the beginning of the debate, the debate that can happen because of a victorious election. Tonight, you’ve brought me that, and I thank you.
I take seriously my oath to protect the Constitution. The people of this state and of our great country deserve nothing less, and that is precisely what they will get from me for the next six years. The best is yet to come. I can’t wait.”
According to the state elections website, as of 3 a.m. MT on Wednesday, Lee led McMullin 55.42% (400,795) to 41.05% (296,827), with all counties reporting in.
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