Recount underway in Utah's 2nd Congressional District GOP primary

A recount for Utah's 2nd Congressional District Republican primary is underway after U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy's challenger formally requested one this week.

Why it matters: The primary winner is likely to win in November given the state's red lean.

Catch up quick: Maloy narrowly led the Republican primary in June against Army veteran Colby Jenkins by 214 votes, which is small enough to trigger a recount.

• Candidates can request one if the margin is .25 percentage points or less under state law. Maloy won by .2 percentage points.

Between the lines: Jenkins' push for a recount was followed by a lawsuit he filed in the Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the disqualification of more than 1,171 ballots that were postmarked after the June 24 deadline.

Flashback: Ahead of the primary, Maloy secured a high-profile endorsement from former President Trump, while Jenkins was backed by Utah Sen. Mike Lee.

By the numbers: Jenkins defeated Maloy during April's GOP convention 57% to 43% as state party delegates tend to skew further to the right.

What they're saying: Maloy has expressed confidence that she'll remain in her seat following the recount.

• "Every legal vote, every voice must be counted," Jenkins said, per the AP . "Hope remains. We fight on."

Context: It's not the first time Maloy's victory has been called into question.

• The southern Utah native faced a lawsuit from a GOP challenger last year that accused her of not being qualified to run because her voter registration was not active.