Race for Utah’s 2nd District narrows, inching closer to recount threshold

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — The Republican primary race for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District continues to narrow more than a week after election day, and with hundreds of ballots yet to be cured, the potential for a recount is down to just a couple dozen votes.

As of Wednesday, incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy’s lead over challenger Colby Jenkins has shrunk to 290 votes, down from 2,000 votes on election night, according to Utah’s unofficial election results .

Jenkins’ path to victory in the primary could hinge on being able to ask for a recount. But under state law, he can only call for one if Maloy’s lead drops to around 266 votes, as that would meet the threshold of “equal to or less than 0.25%” of the 106,000 votes cast in the race.

“We are .03% away from triggering the automatic recount which will ensure that every voice, every ballot has an opportunity to be counted,” Jenkins posted on Twitter/X on Wednesday.

In Washington County, where Jenkins found his strongest support, 531 ballots have yet to be cured, meaning that election officials need to verify voters’ signatures in order to count the ballots.

Ryan Sullivan, the Washington County clerk, told ABC4 on Wednesday that his office has sent letters to voters whose ballots need to be cured. Officials also called and texted voters who provided their phone numbers.

“We’re really trying to do our part, especially in these close races,” Sullivan said, adding that the 2nd District race could come down to these 500 yet-to-be-cured ballots.

But Maloy, who is running for her first full term in Congress, still holds the lead in the unofficial results, with 50.1% of the vote to Jenkins’ 49.9%. Maloy found her strongest support among voters in Salt Lake, Davis, Beaver, and Iron counties.

Utah’s canvas deadline is July 9. The final results of the election are scheduled to be certified by July 22.

The winner of the Republican primary in the 2nd District will face Democratic candidate Nathaniel Woodward in the November general election.

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