Celeste Maloy, a supporter of Donald Trump, had a narrow lead in the Republican special congressional primary, thanks to the strong support from rural voters in Utah. However, it was still too early to determine the final outcome of the race on Wednesday.
The winner of the GOP primary will have a strong chance of winning the general election in November. This race has highlighted the differences between rural and urban Republicans in the expansive district, which includes significant parts of southern and western Utah, as well as northern Salt Lake City.
There are still numerous votes to be tallied, as there is an anticipation of receiving thousands of mail-in ballots within the upcoming fortnight.
Becky Edwards, a former state lawmaker who’s been critical of Trump, was leading in two urban counties. But Maloy, who was chief legal counsel to U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, had the overall edge with support from rural areas. Stewart is stepping down next week because his wife is ill.
Maloy, who has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Southern Utah University and once worked as a U.S. Department of Agriculture soil conservationist, credited her campaign’s focus on rural areas.
“I participated in debates within the rural areas. I attended and organized events in the rural counties,” stated Maloy during an interview on Wednesday. “From the beginning, we made a deliberate choice to focus on winning over the rural counties, and then maximizing our support in the more urban areas.”
According to her, rural voters connected with her stance against excessive government intervention.
After Edwards lost his initial advantage on Tuesday evening, he briefly expressed gratitude to his supporters before concluding an election night gathering in Salt Lake City. As his supporters chanted “Becky, Becky,” Edwards conveyed a sense of optimism but acknowledged the need to await further vote tabulation.
Edwards stated that both urban and rural voters have voiced their wish for a practical and reasonable approach to concerns like expensive housing and inflation.
Edwards expressed to KSL-TV that individuals are fatigued by political division and desire a capable individual who can effectively accomplish tasks.
As of Wednesday, Maloy was ahead by approximately 2%, with a margin of around 1,400 votes. Historically, Utah has not fully counted all votes on Election Day, leaving approximately 30% to be tallied in the following days.
The majority of votes in Utah are submitted through the mail, and they are considered valid if they are postmarked by Election Day and received by September 19th.
A third candidate, businessperson Bruce Hough, a committee member for the Republican National Committee for over a decade, trailed by a wide margin. A woman is therefore likely to win the office in the special general election on Nov. 21, with the GOP winner favored over Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Riebe.
Stewart, a Republican who has served six terms and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, caused a rush to find a replacement for his position when he revealed in May that he would be resigning due to his wife’s illness. He intends to leave his post on September 15 after serving for ten years.
