Wasatch Back Democrats hold narrow leads in Utah House races
Preliminary election results show Republican Luke Searle and Democrat Celeste Johnson separated by just 25 votes in the race for Utah House District 59, KPCW reported. The seat covers Wasatch County, Park City, and part of the Snyderville Basin.
Summit County voters favor Johnson, while more Wasatch County residents have supported Searle. Johnson told KPCW she is anxious to see the final results and thrilled to see major Democratic wins across the country.
If District 59 turns blue, Johnson said she will serve as a voice for rural communities. “We will have a representative who will actually speak to the harm state legislation can do to rural communities, and it will mean that we will have a voice for folks who are the most vulnerable among us,” she said.
Searle is also waiting for all votes to be tallied. He pointed to voter frustration as a driving factor behind seats flipping to Democrats.
“Voters are frustrated with the cost of living, especially here in the state of Utah, and that’s something that I ran on to ensure that families can stay here and thrive here. No matter who gets in this seat, it definitely needs to be addressed,” Searle said.
In state House District 4, Democrat Zane Woolstenhulme held a narrow lead over incumbent Republican Tiara Auxier on Wednesday. Woolstenhulme, the former Oakley mayor, has garnered about 52% of the votes across Summit, Morgan, and Rich counties.
Auxier has represented House District 4 since 2025, when the Utah GOP chose her after Rep. Kera Birkeland stepped down. She was ahead in Morgan and Rich counties by about 1,600 votes, but Woolstenhulme led in Summit County by almost 2,000 votes.
Woolstenhulme expressed humility and excitement at the prospect of flipping a traditionally red seat. “One of the reasons I’m excited to serve is basically to show the world that a Democrat can get elected and represent the whole voting district well and work across the aisle with Republican colleagues to make good things happen for Utah,” he said.
Auxier offered a different perspective on the shifting tallies. In an email, she stated, “It’s clear national frustrations have colored our local elections. I think it’s too early to make sweeping conclusions about what we’re seeing statewide.” She added that she is proud of her work over the past two years, including pushing back against the preliminary municipality process.
Meanwhile, in Senate District 20, Republican Sen. Ron Winterton led Forward Party candidate Annette McRae with 65% of the votes. The seat represents parts of Summit and Wasatch counties and stretches to the east side of the state. Winterton has served in the Utah Senate since 2019. Summit County favored McRae, while Wasatch, Daggett, Duchesne, and Uintah voters largely supported Winterton.
In the 3rd Congressional District, covering all of Summit and Wasatch counties, incumbent Republican Celeste Maloy won the race with nearly 58% of voter support. In state House District 23, incumbent Democrat Hoang Nguyen retained her seat with 83% of the vote, while incumbent Scott Chew kept his seat in State House District 68 with 85% of support. Both districts represent slivers of Summit County.
More election results are expected Wednesday afternoon.
